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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.

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: face · charge · lash · clip · mouse · press · straw · squash

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. face — to point toward
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. squash — to crush
  7. face — part of the head
  8. clip — for paper
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. charge — a price
  11. press — to push
  12. clip — to cut
  13. face — to confront
  14. press — a publisher
  15. charge — in control
  16. press — newspapers
  17. clip — a video
  18. charge — electricity
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. squash — the sport
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. squash — the vegetable

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