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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: press · rock · lash · leaves · mouse · wake · bat · pitch

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. rock — music
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. press — to push
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. press — a publisher
  14. press — newspapers
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. bat — the animal
  17. wake — a trail
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. pitch — completely
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. rock — a stone

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