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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. press — a publisher
  3. shower — to wash
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. swing — music
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. rock — music
  10. swing — in golf
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. press — to push
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. snap — to click
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. rock — a stone
  18. swing — to play on
  19. shower — rain
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. press — newspapers
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. dip — to sink
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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