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

Word bank: lash · band · press · snap · board · foot · perch · ball

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. ball — a dance
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. press — a publisher
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. board — to get on
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. press — newspapers
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. foot — a measure
  14. band — a ring
  15. perch — the fish
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. press — to push
  18. snap — to click
  19. board — a committee
  20. band — a music group
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. ball — a great time
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. perch — for a bird

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