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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: lash · rock · cold · sharp · deal · press · drill · snap

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. cold — an illness
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. cold — not warm
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. press — to push
  8. rock — music
  9. press — a publisher
  10. sharp — clever
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. snap — to click
  15. drill — the tool
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. deal — to handle
  18. press — newspapers
  19. rock — a stone
  20. drill — army training
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. drill — a practice
  24. sharp — with an edge

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