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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 120 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: pound · foot · lie · lash · sharp · key · press · bear

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. sharp — clever
  4. pound — a weight
  5. key — in music
  6. press — newspapers
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. foot — a measure
  9. key — the most important part
  10. press — a publisher
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. bear — the animal
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. lie — to recline
  19. bear — the animal
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. key — for a lock

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