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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.

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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. key — for a lock
  3. pound — a weight
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. face — part of the head
  6. key — the most important part
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. press — to push
  9. face — to point toward
  10. press — a publisher
  11. press — newspapers
  12. file — a document
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. file — a tool
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. file — a line of people
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. rush — hurry
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. key — in music
  23. face — to confront
  24. rush — a thrill

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