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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. hand — help
  4. press — newspapers
  5. spell — a short time
  6. spell — letters
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. chip — to eat
  11. chip — for betting
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. hand — in cards
  16. spell — magic
  17. bore — to drill
  18. branch — a division
  19. press — a publisher
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. bore — to tire
  24. branch — of a tree

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