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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: press · straw · row · lash · spell · mouse · hand · mug

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. spell — magic
  4. row — to paddle
  5. hand — help
  6. spell — a short time
  7. press — newspapers
  8. row — a line
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. mug — to rob
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. press — a publisher
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. spell — letters
  16. press — to push
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. hand — in cards
  19. mug — a face
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. mug — a cup
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. row — a quarrel

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