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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. mate — to breed
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. current — happening now
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. press — to push
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. branch — a division
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. current — of water
  14. current — electric
  15. press — newspapers
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. press — a publisher
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. mate — a partner
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. mate — a friend

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