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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 116 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: wake · trunk · press · lash · pound · mark · ground · kick

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. ground — crushed
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. wake — a trail
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. pound — a weight
  8. mark — a grade
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. press — to push
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. ground — a position
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. mark — a trace
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. press — a publisher
  21. ground — the earth
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. kick — in football
  24. kick — with a leg

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