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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: lash · last · nail · stick · mouse · face · press · bowl

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. press — a publisher
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. last — to go on
  8. face — part of the head
  9. last — finally
  10. press — to push
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. press — newspapers
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. face — to point toward
  18. face — to confront
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. last — final
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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