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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 116 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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. press — a publisher
  5. press — to push
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. press — newspapers
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. rash — a series
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. rash — hasty
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. coach — a trainer

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