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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. row — a line
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. squash — the sport
  5. present — there
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. present — a gift
  9. press — newspapers
  10. pop — soda
  11. squash — to crush
  12. row — to paddle
  13. pop — music
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. sharp — clever
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. press — a publisher
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. press — to push
  20. pop — to visit
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. present — the time now
  24. row — a quarrel

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