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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. mug — a face
  3. firm — decided
  4. date — the fruit
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. press — a publisher
  7. shower — to wash
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. press — newspapers
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. squash — the sport
  12. sharp — clever
  13. mug — a cup
  14. firm — steady
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. press — to push
  18. shower — rain
  19. firm — a company
  20. squash — to crush
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. mug — to rob
  24. lash — to lash out

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