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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. kick — in football
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. stem — to come from
  15. pitch — completely
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. press — newspapers
  21. press — to push
  22. press — a publisher
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. stem — a stem cell

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