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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.

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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: drill · lie · firm · kid · swing · lash · deal · press

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. press — to push
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. press — newspapers
  6. firm — decided
  7. deal — to handle
  8. drill — a practice
  9. press — a publisher
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. swing — music
  13. firm — steady
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. swing — to play on
  17. lie — to recline
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. firm — a company
  20. kid — to tease
  21. drill — the tool
  22. drill — army training
  23. swing — in golf
  24. lie — an untruth

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