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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 116 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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. board — to get on
  4. hand — in cards
  5. press — a publisher
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. club — for dancing
  9. mine — for digging
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. press — to push
  14. bound — obliged
  15. club — for golf
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. press — newspapers
  20. club — a group
  21. hand — help
  22. bound — certain
  23. bound — tied together
  24. board — a committee

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