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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. field — for sport
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. press — newspapers
  5. mark — a grade
  6. field — a subject
  7. mark — a trace
  8. race — a contest
  9. race — humankind
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. hand — help
  13. hand — in cards
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. bark — to shout
  16. field — farmland
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. race — the arms race
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. press — to push
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. press — a publisher
  24. bark — of a tree

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