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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. press — a publisher
  3. foot — a measure
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. press — to push
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. ball — a great time
  9. hand — in cards
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. track — to keep track
  12. hand — help
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. track — a path
  15. ball — a dance
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. press — newspapers
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. kick — in football
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. track — a song

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