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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. chair — a leader
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. rest — what's left
  5. dip — to sink
  6. swing — music
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. ground — crushed
  9. press — newspapers
  10. rest — a break
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. press — to push
  13. saw — the tool
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. ground — the earth
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. rest — what's left
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. swing — to play on
  21. swing — in golf
  22. saw — the tool
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. press — a publisher

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com