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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 function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. bass — the fish
  3. drill — a practice
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. snap — to click
  6. chip — to eat
  7. chip — for betting
  8. drill — army training
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. drill — the tool
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. press — a publisher
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. press — to push
  20. bass — low music
  21. board — a committee
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. board — to get on

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