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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. press — a publisher
  3. kick — in football
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. club — a group
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. club — for golf
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. snap — to click
  18. press — newspapers
  19. club — for dancing
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. press — to push
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. wax — to grow
  24. trunk — of a car

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