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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 120 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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. spring — a coil
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. press — newspapers
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. press — a publisher
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bark — to shout
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. press — to push
  15. perch — the fish
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. spring — of water
  20. pass — a permit
  21. spring — the season
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. pass — to succeed

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