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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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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: ball · wave · mug · bank · press · kick · chip · lash

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. ball — a great time
  3. ball — a dance
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. kick — in football
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. press — newspapers
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — for money
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. mug — to rob
  13. chip — for betting
  14. mug — a face
  15. mug — a cup
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. press — a publisher
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. bank — of a river
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. chip — to eat
  24. press — to push

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