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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: press · sharp · mouse · chest · land · lash · bulb · kick

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. kick — in football
  3. chest — a box
  4. land — to come down
  5. land — a country
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. press — newspapers
  8. chest — of your body
  9. bulb — for light
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. bulb — for light
  16. press — to push
  17. chest — of your body
  18. land — ground
  19. press — a publisher
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. sharp — clever

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