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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: pitcher · season · lash · press · rush · chest · kid · wake

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. press — newspapers
  3. season — of the year
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. wake — a trail
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. rush — hurry
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. chest — a box
  11. kid — child
  12. chest — of your body
  13. press — a publisher
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. season — in sport
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. press — to push
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. chest — of your body
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. rush — a thrill

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