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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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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: press · spell · lash · game · fork · kid · bowl · wave

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. press — a publisher
  3. spell — magic
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. kid — child
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. game — a match
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. fork — in a road
  11. kid — to tease
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. spell — a short time
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. press — to push
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. spell — letters
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. game — wild animals
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. press — newspapers
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. bowl — a dish

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