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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. season — of the year
  4. rash — hasty
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. press — a publisher
  8. can — to be able to
  9. press — to push
  10. season — in sport
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. can — a tin
  13. stock — goods
  14. ball — a great time
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. rash — a series
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. stock — shares
  19. press — newspapers
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. ball — a dance
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. calf — a young animal

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