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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. swing — to play on
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. board — to get on
  7. swing — in golf
  8. board — a committee
  9. chest — of your body
  10. present — the time now
  11. chest — a box
  12. chest — of your body
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. press — to push
  16. rash — hasty
  17. swing — music
  18. present — a gift
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. press — a publisher
  22. press — newspapers
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. present — there

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