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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. branch — a division
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. press — a publisher
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. press — to push
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. bat — the animal
  21. press — newspapers
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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