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

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. board — a committee
  3. press — to push
  4. shower — rain
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. board — to get on
  9. chair — a leader
  10. press — a publisher
  11. drill — army training
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. drill — a practice
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. shower — to wash
  17. press — newspapers
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. dip — to sink
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. drill — the tool

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