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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. press — to push
  3. bat — the animal
  4. current — electric
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. march — the month
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. march — the month
  10. march — music
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. current — of water
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. fall — the season
  15. board — to get on
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. current — happening now
  18. board — a committee
  19. press — a publisher
  20. fall — to drop
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. press — newspapers
  23. fall — to drop
  24. racket — for tennis

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