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

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. press — to push
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. tube — the underground
  7. key — in music
  8. press — a publisher
  9. wind — moving air
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. press — newspapers
  12. tube — a container
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. file — a tool
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. file — a line of people
  19. key — the most important part
  20. file — a document
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. key — for a lock
  24. lash — to lash out

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