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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: plane · roll · capital · wave · stock · lash · press · game

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. press — newspapers
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. stock — shares
  7. game — a match
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. stock — goods
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. capital — a city
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. roll — a cake
  15. capital — money
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. press — to push
  19. plane — a tool
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. press — a publisher
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. game — wild animals

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