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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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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. pit — a hole
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. pit — in a race
  7. press — newspapers
  8. band — a music group
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. press — a publisher
  11. rash — hasty
  12. rash — a series
  13. press — to push
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. fork — in a road
  18. mate — a partner
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. mate — to breed
  21. mate — a friend
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. band — a ring

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