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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 120 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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. mug — a face
  4. wound — an injury
  5. object — a thing
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. charge — electricity
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. object — an aim
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. object — to protest
  14. charge — in control
  15. press — newspapers
  16. mug — a cup
  17. drill — the tool
  18. press — a publisher
  19. mug — to rob
  20. drill — a practice
  21. wound — an injury
  22. drill — army training
  23. press — to push
  24. charge — a price

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