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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 116 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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. mate — a friend
  4. ground — the earth
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. scale — size or range
  7. march — the month
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. march — the month
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. press — a publisher
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. press — newspapers
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. mate — a partner
  16. march — music
  17. mate — to breed
  18. ground — a position
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. scale — in music
  22. sharp — clever
  23. press — to push
  24. fan — to cool the air

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