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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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468
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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. pound — a weight
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. swing — to play on
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. pitch — completely
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. swing — music
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. swing — in golf
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. press — a publisher
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. press — to push
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. wax — to grow

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