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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 120 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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. spell — a short time
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. press — to push
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. spell — letters
  9. pitch — completely
  10. kid — to tease
  11. field — farmland
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. field — for sport
  14. spell — magic
  15. press — newspapers
  16. kid — child
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. field — a subject
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. press — a publisher
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. mouse — the animal

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