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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. craft — a skill
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. press — newspapers
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. press — to push
  11. chest — of your body
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. chest — of your body
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. pound — a weight
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. press — a publisher
  19. chest — a box
  20. snap — to click
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. craft — boats

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