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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. fall — the season
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. fall — to drop
  6. object — a thing
  7. object — an aim
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. press — a publisher
  10. press — to push
  11. season — of the year
  12. season — in sport
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. press — newspapers
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. object — to protest
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. fall — to drop
  24. kick — in football

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