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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: object · nail · press · tube · straw · last · rash · lash

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. rash — hasty
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. press — newspapers
  8. last — finally
  9. object — a thing
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. tube — a container
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. object — an aim
  14. press — to push
  15. object — to protest
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. press — a publisher
  18. tube — the underground
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. rash — a series
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. last — final

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