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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: press · rule · rest · cap · key · lash

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. press — a publisher
  4. cap — a lid
  5. key — the most important part
  6. press — newspapers
  7. rule — government
  8. rest — a break
  9. cap — of ice
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. press — to push
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. rule — a law
  16. cap — a hat
  17. key — for a lock
  18. rest — what's left

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