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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: leaves · chest · bulb · lash · lean · press · snap · kid

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. press — to push
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. lean — to bend
  6. kid — child
  7. chest — a box
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. snap — to click
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bulb — for light
  14. press — newspapers
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. lean — thin
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. chest — of your body
  19. kid — to tease
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. press — a publisher
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. chest — of your body
  24. bulb — for light

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