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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. press — a publisher
  3. press — to push
  4. press — newspapers
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. wax — to grow
  7. spell — letters
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. kid — child
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. fall — the season
  13. fall — to drop
  14. spell — magic
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. spell — a short time
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. chip — to eat
  22. kid — to tease
  23. chip — for betting
  24. fall — to drop

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