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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. can — a tin
  4. field — a subject
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. hand — help
  7. can — to be able to
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. press — a publisher
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. press — to push
  15. field — for sport
  16. press — newspapers
  17. field — farmland
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. snap — to click
  20. hand — in cards
  21. can — a tin
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. lash — to lash out

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