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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: lash · sharp · press · mark · rest · stick · capital · perch

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. capital — money
  5. sharp — clever
  6. rest — what's left
  7. press — newspapers
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. rest — a break
  16. capital — a city
  17. perch — the fish
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. press — to push
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. mark — a grade
  22. press — a publisher
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. rest — what's left

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