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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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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 · patient · press · straw · row · lean · pound · pass

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. press — a publisher
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. row — to paddle
  9. lean — to bend
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. lean — thin
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. pass — a permit
  19. press — to push
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. row — a line
  22. press — newspapers
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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