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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. suit — in cards
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. clip — for paper
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. squash — to crush
  7. root — of a word
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. press — newspapers
  10. suit — clothes
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. clip — to cut
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. press — to push
  15. mark — a trace
  16. squash — the sport
  17. suit — to fit
  18. mark — a grade
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. board — a committee
  21. press — a publisher
  22. root — of a plant
  23. clip — a video
  24. root — the cause

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