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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: cold · lean · press · pound · mouse · lash · object · net

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. lean — to bend
  6. net — in sport
  7. object — to protest
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. cold — an illness
  12. net — for catching
  13. press — a publisher
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. net — after costs
  16. lean — thin
  17. press — newspapers
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. cold — not warm
  20. object — an aim
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. pound — a weight
  23. press — to push
  24. object — a thing

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