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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 116 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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. press — to push
  4. prune — to trim
  5. press — newspapers
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. press — a publisher
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. ball — a dance
  12. wind — moving air
  13. bore — to drill
  14. prune — to trim
  15. spring — the season
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. spring — a coil
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. wind — moving air
  20. bore — to tire
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. ball — a great time
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. spring — of water

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