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

Word bank: hide · pit · nail · lash · press · race

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. race — the arms race
  4. press — newspapers
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. press — a publisher
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. race — a contest
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. pit — in a race
  13. press — to push
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. race — humankind
  16. pit — a hole
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. lash — a whip stroke

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