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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. press — newspapers
  6. net — for catching
  7. stand — to bear
  8. lean — to bend
  9. press — to push
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. toast — bread
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. net — in sport
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. net — after costs
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. press — a publisher
  21. wake — a trail
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. lean — thin
  24. hide — animal skin

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