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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: straw · lash · game · mouse · bulb · cap · press · bore

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. press — to push
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. press — a publisher
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bulb — for light
  10. press — newspapers
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. game — wild animals
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. bore — to tire
  15. cap — a hat
  16. game — a match
  17. cap — of ice
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. bore — to drill
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. cap — a lid
  24. mouse — for a computer

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