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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: fall · clip · lash · race · mate · lean · press · suit

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. suit — clothes
  3. lean — thin
  4. race — a contest
  5. fall — the season
  6. race — humankind
  7. clip — to cut
  8. press — newspapers
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. mate — a friend
  11. press — a publisher
  12. suit — to fit
  13. clip — a video
  14. lean — to bend
  15. race — the arms race
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. mate — to breed
  19. fall — to drop
  20. suit — in cards
  21. clip — for paper
  22. fall — to drop
  23. press — to push
  24. mate — a partner

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