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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. press — a publisher
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. pound — a weight
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. vault — a safe
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. mark — a trace
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. cell — a phone
  16. kick — in football
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. press — newspapers
  19. cell — in biology
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. mark — a grade
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. press — to push

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