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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: band · drill · capital · cabinet · swing · lash · press · root

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. swing — in golf
  3. root — of a word
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. press — newspapers
  7. swing — music
  8. root — of a plant
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. drill — the tool
  12. capital — money
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. capital — a city
  15. press — to push
  16. swing — to play on
  17. band — a music group
  18. root — the cause
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. drill — army training
  21. drill — a practice
  22. press — a publisher
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. band — a ring

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