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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. spell — magic
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. last — finally
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. last — to go on
  10. chip — for betting
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. press — to push
  13. press — a publisher
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. spell — a short time
  18. press — newspapers
  19. chip — to eat
  20. kick — in football
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. spell — letters
  24. last — final

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