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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. kick — in football
  4. drill — the tool
  5. season — in sport
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. season — of the year
  8. branch — a division
  9. press — a publisher
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. rush — hurry
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. drill — a practice
  15. press — newspapers
  16. drill — army training
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. press — to push
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. ruler — a monarch

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