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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: wave · cue · dip · roll · lash · game · pound · press

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. cue — for pool
  5. pound — a weight
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. press — to push
  8. dip — to sink
  9. press — a publisher
  10. roll — a cake
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. game — wild animals
  15. cue — a signal
  16. press — newspapers
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. cue — a hint
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. roll — a list
  23. dip — a sauce
  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