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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 like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. kick — in football
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. press — a publisher
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. press — newspapers
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. dip — to sink
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. rest — a break
  16. rest — what's left
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. rest — what's left
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — the fish
  22. press — to push
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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