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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: tear · game · mug · hide · lash · cue · jam · press

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. cue — a signal
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. mug — a cup
  5. cue — a hint
  6. mug — to rob
  7. game — a match
  8. press — to push
  9. mug — a face
  10. game — wild animals
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. cue — for pool
  16. press — a publisher
  17. tear — from crying
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. press — newspapers
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. tear — to rip
  24. tear — from crying

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