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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: tube · key · lash · swing · cabinet · rush · press · spell

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. press — newspapers
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. spell — letters
  7. tube — the underground
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. rush — hurry
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. spell — a short time
  14. swing — music
  15. press — a publisher
  16. press — to push
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. spell — magic
  19. key — for a lock
  20. key — in music
  21. key — the most important part
  22. swing — in golf
  23. swing — to play on
  24. cabinet — ministers

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