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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 function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. land — ground
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. can — a tin
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. land — a country
  8. wind — moving air
  9. kid — child
  10. stand — to bear
  11. press — a publisher
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. object — to protest
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. kid — to tease
  17. object — a thing
  18. object — an aim
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. press — to push
  21. wind — moving air
  22. can — to be able to
  23. land — to come down
  24. can — a tin

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