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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.

Make a worksheet

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
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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: land · lash · rest · lie · wave · mouse · game · press

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. rest — a break
  5. game — a match
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. rest — what's left
  8. land — a country
  9. lie — to recline
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. press — to push
  16. land — to come down
  17. press — a publisher
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. land — ground
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. game — wild animals
  24. press — newspapers

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