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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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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: key · straw · deal · shower · current · lash · press · pass

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. key — in music
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. key — for a lock
  6. key — the most important part
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. press — a publisher
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. press — newspapers
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. shower — rain
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. press — to push
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. pass — a permit
  18. current — happening now
  19. current — electric
  20. current — of water
  21. shower — to wash
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. deal — to handle

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