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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pitch — completely
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. press — to push
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. season — in sport
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. press — a publisher
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. season — of the year
  21. press — newspapers
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. rush — hurry
  24. fork — in a road

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