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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. club — for golf
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. press — a publisher
  8. club — for dancing
  9. mine — for digging
  10. press — to push
  11. pitch — completely
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. kid — child
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. press — newspapers
  18. kid — to tease
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. club — a group
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. arm — part of the body

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