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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. fine — all right
  5. degree — an amount
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. press — a publisher
  8. race — humankind
  9. season — of the year
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. race — the arms race
  13. press — to push
  14. kick — in football
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. press — newspapers
  18. degree — temperature
  19. fine — high quality
  20. race — a contest
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. degree — from a university
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. wave — of the sea

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