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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. press — a publisher
  3. press — to push
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. wax — to grow
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. press — newspapers
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. stand — to bear
  17. season — in sport
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. season — of the year

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