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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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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 · snap · key · wind · press · stem · stick · lash

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. wind — moving air
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. key — in music
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. key — the most important part
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. key — for a lock
  13. press — newspapers
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. wind — moving air
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. snap — to click
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. stem — to come from
  24. press — to push

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