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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 116 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 got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. press — to push
  5. tear — to rip
  6. net — in sport
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. root — of a plant
  11. press — newspapers
  12. net — for catching
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. tear — from crying
  16. hand — help
  17. rush — hurry
  18. press — a publisher
  19. tear — from crying
  20. root — of a word
  21. root — the cause
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. net — after costs
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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