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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 116 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: lash · saw · racket · mate · charge · press · key · stick

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. key — for a lock
  3. press — to push
  4. charge — in control
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. charge — electricity
  8. mate — a friend
  9. press — newspapers
  10. charge — a price
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. mate — a partner
  14. saw — the tool
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. press — a publisher
  19. saw — the tool
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. key — in music
  23. key — the most important part
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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