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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. fine — all right
  4. bass — the fish
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. press — newspapers
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. rush — hurry
  9. press — a publisher
  10. firm — decided
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. branch — a division
  13. firm — steady
  14. press — to push
  15. firm — a company
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. kick — in football
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. bass — low music
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. fine — high quality
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. branch — of a bank

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