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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: lie · dip · capital · lash · game · field · track · press

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. capital — money
  3. lie — to recline
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. press — newspapers
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. track — a song
  8. track — to keep track
  9. field — farmland
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. game — wild animals
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. press — to push
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. field — for sport
  17. press — a publisher
  18. track — a path
  19. dip — to sink
  20. field — a subject
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. capital — a city
  23. game — a match
  24. dip — a sauce

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