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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cap · mine · jam · coach · dip · lash · press · hand

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. dip — to sink
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. press — to push
  9. press — a publisher
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. hand — in cards
  18. mine — for digging
  19. cap — a hat
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. cap — of ice
  22. press — newspapers
  23. hand — help
  24. cap — a lid

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