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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 felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. can — a tin
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. press — to push
  7. can — to be able to
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. chest — a box
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. bear — the animal
  12. press — newspapers
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. press — a publisher
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. chest — of your body
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. bear — the animal
  22. chest — of your body
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. can — a tin

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