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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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Word bank
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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: branch · press · sharp · straw · pit · dip · lash · kick

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. pit — in a race
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. press — a publisher
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. pit — a hole
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. sharp — clever
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. press — to push
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. press — newspapers
  17. kick — in football
  18. dip — to sink
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. branch — a division
  24. kick — a thrill

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