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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: pop · press · bowl · season · game · cap · bound · lash

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. press — a publisher
  3. game — a match
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. press — to push
  7. season — in sport
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. bound — tied together
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. season — of the year
  12. bound — certain
  13. bound — obliged
  14. pop — music
  15. cap — a hat
  16. cap — a lid
  17. press — newspapers
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. game — wild animals
  20. cap — of ice
  21. pop — to visit
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. pop — soda

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