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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. capital — a city
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. tear — from crying
  7. mug — a cup
  8. capital — money
  9. kick — in football
  10. tear — to rip
  11. mug — a face
  12. tear — from crying
  13. staff — employees
  14. press — newspapers
  15. staff — a stick
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. staff — employees
  18. mug — to rob
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. press — a publisher
  21. press — to push
  22. stand — to bear
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. kick — a thrill

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