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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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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: lash · ground · pop · hand · ruler · press · rush · wake

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. press — a publisher
  3. pop — to visit
  4. ground — a position
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. press — newspapers
  7. pop — music
  8. hand — help
  9. ground — crushed
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. pop — soda
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. hand — in cards
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. press — to push
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. ground — the earth
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. rush — hurry

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