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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: lash · stem · net · pit · lean · spell · clip · press

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. pit — in a race
  3. press — to push
  4. clip — a video
  5. net — after costs
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. net — for catching
  8. press — a publisher
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. lean — thin
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. net — in sport
  13. spell — magic
  14. press — newspapers
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. spell — letters
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. clip — to cut
  20. stem — to come from
  21. lean — to bend
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. spell — a short time
  24. clip — for paper

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