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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. present — a gift
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. press — newspapers
  6. drill — army training
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. press — to push
  9. rule — government
  10. drill — the tool
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. present — the time now
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. press — a publisher
  19. rule — a law
  20. foot — a measure
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. drill — a practice
  24. present — there

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