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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 spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. present — a gift
  3. present — there
  4. rock — music
  5. wind — moving air
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. squash — the sport
  9. chip — to eat
  10. squash — to crush
  11. rock — a stone
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. press — newspapers
  16. press — a publisher
  17. wind — moving air
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. lean — thin
  20. present — the time now
  21. chip — for betting
  22. lean — to bend
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. press — to push

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