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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: press · fine · bear · hide · lash · chair · bay · pop

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. press — to push
  3. fine — all right
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. fine — high quality
  11. chair — a leader
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. pop — to visit
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. pop — music
  16. press — a publisher
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. pop — soda
  21. bear — the animal
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. bear — the animal
  24. press — newspapers

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