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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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Word bank
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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. press — newspapers
  4. press — to push
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. cue — a hint
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. pit — in a race
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. shower — to wash
  12. rest — what's left
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. press — a publisher
  16. cue — for pool
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. plane — a tool
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. rest — what's left
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. cue — a signal
  23. pit — a hole
  24. shower — rain

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