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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. kick — in football
  7. press — newspapers
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. snap — to click
  14. shower — to wash
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. press — to push
  22. shower — rain
  23. stand — to bear
  24. press — a publisher

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