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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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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: mug · press · degree · lash · saw · season · nail · march

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. march — the month
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. mug — to rob
  5. march — the month
  6. season — in sport
  7. press — to push
  8. season — of the year
  9. degree — an amount
  10. march — music
  11. press — newspapers
  12. degree — from a university
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — the tool
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. mug — a face
  18. press — a publisher
  19. degree — temperature
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. mug — a cup
  24. nail — for a hammer

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