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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. press — to push
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. board — to get on
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. suit — in cards
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. board — a committee
  10. suit — clothes
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — the animal
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. press — newspapers
  17. fine — high quality
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. suit — to fit
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. bat — the animal
  22. fine — all right
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. lash — to lash out

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