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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. cap — a lid
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. rash — hasty
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. cap — of ice
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. kick — in football
  12. press — to push
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. cap — a hat
  15. craft — boats
  16. can — a tin
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. can — a tin
  19. rash — a series
  20. craft — a skill
  21. press — a publisher
  22. can — to be able to
  23. branch — a division
  24. kick — a thrill

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