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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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468
Word bank
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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. charge — a price
  3. press — to push
  4. dip — to sink
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. pitch — completely
  8. press — newspapers
  9. kid — child
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. root — of a word
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. kid — to tease
  14. root — of a plant
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. root — the cause
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. charge — electricity
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. charge — in control
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. press — a publisher

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