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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 120 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: present · staff · bowl · press · sharp · cold · cue · lash

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. cold — an illness
  3. press — a publisher
  4. staff — a stick
  5. press — newspapers
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. cue — a hint
  9. cue — a signal
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. present — a gift
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. press — to push
  15. present — the time now
  16. staff — employees
  17. cold — not warm
  18. staff — employees
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. present — there
  21. cue — for pool
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. sharp — clever
  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