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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 120 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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. land — ground
  3. track — a path
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. track — a song
  6. club — for dancing
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. club — a group
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. press — to push
  13. press — newspapers
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. land — a country
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. club — for golf
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. track — to keep track
  21. land — to come down
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. press — a publisher

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