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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 · tear · roll · board · press · suit · lash · game

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. press — newspapers
  3. suit — to fit
  4. roll — a list
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. board — to get on
  7. cap — a hat
  8. game — a match
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. roll — a cake
  12. cap — of ice
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. tear — from crying
  16. cap — a lid
  17. press — to push
  18. game — wild animals
  19. tear — from crying
  20. tear — to rip
  21. suit — in cards
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. board — a committee
  24. press — a publisher

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