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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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468
Word bank
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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. cue — for pool
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. fork — in a road
  8. press — to push
  9. game — wild animals
  10. cue — a signal
  11. press — newspapers
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. game — a match
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. charge — in control
  17. charge — a price
  18. cue — a hint
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. press — a publisher
  21. charge — electricity
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. arm — a part of something

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