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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. press — to push
  9. kick — in football
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. stock — shares
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. lean — to bend
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. stock — goods
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. press — newspapers
  18. lean — thin
  19. pitch — completely
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. sharp — clever
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. press — a publisher

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