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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: lash · cell · bore · mouse · kick · press

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. cell — a phone
  5. press — newspapers
  6. press — a publisher
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. cell — in biology
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. bore — to drill
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. press — to push
  18. kick — in football

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