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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. kick — in football
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. field — for sport
  8. field — farmland
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — a break
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. bark — to shout
  14. board — a committee
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. press — newspapers
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. press — a publisher
  21. rest — what's left
  22. press — to push
  23. board — to get on
  24. field — a subject

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