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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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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: bank · present · board · face · lash · press · wind · wake

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. board — a committee
  4. face — to point toward
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. press — newspapers
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. present — there
  9. present — the time now
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. bank — of a river
  12. board — to get on
  13. press — a publisher
  14. wind — moving air
  15. face — to confront
  16. bank — for money
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. wake — a trail
  19. face — part of the head
  20. wind — moving air
  21. present — a gift
  22. bank — for money
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. press — to push

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