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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. firm — decided
  3. press — a publisher
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. cold — an illness
  6. press — newspapers
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. press — to push
  10. firm — a company
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. deal — to handle
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — the tool
  18. firm — steady
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. cold — not warm

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