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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  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 — to lash out
  2. kick — in football
  3. press — newspapers
  4. firm — a company
  5. net — after costs
  6. press — to push
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. firm — steady
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. spring — a coil
  12. spring — the season
  13. net — in sport
  14. net — for catching
  15. dip — to sink
  16. stand — to bear
  17. firm — decided
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. spring — of water
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. stand — for spectators
  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