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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 116 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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. tear — from crying
  4. tear — to rip
  5. tear — from crying
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. track — to keep track
  8. press — a publisher
  9. press — to push
  10. fine — high quality
  11. track — a song
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. lie — to recline
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. stem — to come from
  19. fine — all right
  20. track — a path
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. press — newspapers

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