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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. rash — a series
  8. press — a publisher
  9. rash — hasty
  10. roll — a list
  11. chair — a leader
  12. roll — a cake
  13. press — newspapers
  14. press — to push
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. sharp — clever
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. lie — to recline
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lash — an eyelash

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