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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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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: press · pitcher · bear · wind · lash · snap · ruler · can

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. wind — moving air
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. snap — to click
  6. wind — moving air
  7. press — newspapers
  8. can — to be able to
  9. bear — the animal
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. press — to push
  15. press — a publisher
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. bear — the animal
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. can — a tin
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. can — a tin

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