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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. row — to paddle
  3. rest — what's left
  4. row — a line
  5. wound — an injury
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. rest — what's left
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. press — newspapers
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. press — a publisher
  14. stand — to bear
  15. wound — an injury
  16. press — to push
  17. rest — a break
  18. field — a subject
  19. field — farmland
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. field — for sport
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. lash — to lash out

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