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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. mark — a trace
  5. snap — to click
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. press — a publisher
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. season — of the year
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. press — to push
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. mark — a grade
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. press — newspapers
  24. season — in sport

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