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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  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. straw — dry grass
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. bore — to tire
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. lean — thin
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. rule — a law
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. sharp — clever
  11. rule — government
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. press — newspapers
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. kick — in football
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. lean — to bend
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. bore — to drill
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. press — to push
  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