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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. squash — the sport
  4. fall — to drop
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. press — to push
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. stem — to come from
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. fall — to drop
  11. squash — to crush
  12. hand — in cards
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. press — newspapers
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. hand — help
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. press — a publisher
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. fall — the season

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