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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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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: hand · mate · lash · bear · present · drill · press · hide

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. press — newspapers
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. hand — in cards
  7. hand — help
  8. present — a gift
  9. press — a publisher
  10. present — the time now
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. bear — the animal
  14. press — to push
  15. drill — the tool
  16. bear — the animal
  17. mate — to breed
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. drill — army training
  22. drill — a practice
  23. mate — a friend
  24. mate — a partner

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