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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. dip — to sink
  7. clip — to cut
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. press — a publisher
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. press — to push
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. face — to point toward
  16. kick — in football
  17. face — part of the head
  18. clip — a video
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. face — to confront
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. press — newspapers
  23. clip — for paper
  24. kick — with a leg

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