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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. track — a path
  5. press — a publisher
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. current — happening now
  9. track — to keep track
  10. track — a song
  11. current — of water
  12. kick — in football
  13. current — electric
  14. stock — shares
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. press — newspapers
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. stock — goods
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. kid — child
  22. press — to push
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. kid — to tease

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