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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: board · lash · tube · press · jam · mate · file · bear

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. mate — a friend
  3. press — a publisher
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. file — a line of people
  7. board — to get on
  8. mate — to breed
  9. file — a tool
  10. file — a document
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. tube — a container
  13. bear — the animal
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. board — a committee
  16. bear — the animal
  17. press — to push
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. mate — a partner
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. press — newspapers
  23. tube — the underground
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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