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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 116 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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. face — to confront
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. rest — a break
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. rush — hurry
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. row — a line
  10. stand — to bear
  11. bank — for money
  12. bank — for money
  13. rest — what's left
  14. face — to point toward
  15. press — to push
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. row — to paddle
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. rest — what's left
  21. press — a publisher
  22. bank — of a river
  23. press — newspapers
  24. face — part of the head

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