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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. press — newspapers
  3. press — a publisher
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. press — to push
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. tube — the underground
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. tube — a container
  14. ball — a dance
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. band — a ring
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. band — a music group
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. foot — a measure
  24. ball — a great time

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