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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. press — a publisher
  3. press — newspapers
  4. mug — to rob
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. drill — the tool
  8. drill — a practice
  9. stock — shares
  10. track — to keep track
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. mug — a face
  14. squash — the sport
  15. press — to push
  16. lie — to recline
  17. squash — to crush
  18. mug — a cup
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. stock — goods
  22. drill — army training
  23. track — a path
  24. track — a song

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