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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. band — a ring
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. press — a publisher
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. press — newspapers
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. board — to get on
  12. band — a music group
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. press — to push
  20. wound — an injury
  21. bat — the animal
  22. board — a committee
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. board — a flat piece

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