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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: straw · firm · press · lash · bowl · face · bank · cue

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. cue — a signal
  4. bank — of a river
  5. press — a publisher
  6. face — part of the head
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. face — to point toward
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. firm — decided
  11. bank — for money
  12. cue — a hint
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. press — newspapers
  15. firm — steady
  16. bank — for money
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. firm — a company
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. cue — for pool
  24. face — to confront

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