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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. press — a publisher
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. season — of the year
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. stock — shares
  11. present — the time now
  12. craft — boats
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. season — in sport
  15. stock — goods
  16. press — to push
  17. present — a gift
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. press — newspapers
  20. craft — a skill
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. present — there
  24. trunk — of a car

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