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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. roll — a list
  3. stand — to bear
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. press — to push
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. drill — army training
  9. drill — a practice
  10. club — for dancing
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. roll — a cake
  14. press — newspapers
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. club — a group
  20. drill — the tool
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. club — for golf
  23. press — a publisher
  24. bowl — a football final

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