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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 120 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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. craft — a skill
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. wind — moving air
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. fine — all right
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. fine — high quality
  10. press — a publisher
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. craft — boats
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. press — to push
  17. wind — moving air
  18. press — newspapers
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. lash — to lash out

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