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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. clip — to cut
  4. rock — music
  5. clip — for paper
  6. root — of a plant
  7. root — of a word
  8. root — the cause
  9. press — a publisher
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. press — newspapers
  13. clip — a video
  14. fall — to drop
  15. rush — hurry
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. press — to push
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. fall — the season
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. fall — to drop
  24. rock — a stone

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