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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: object · rush · rash · game · press · lash · bound · cold

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bound — tied together
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. bound — certain
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. rush — hurry
  9. game — wild animals
  10. cold — not warm
  11. object — to protest
  12. press — to push
  13. rash — a series
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. rash — hasty
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. object — a thing
  18. cold — an illness
  19. object — an aim
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. press — newspapers
  23. press — a publisher
  24. game — a match

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