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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: lash · press · mouse · plane · toast · straw · pitch · hide

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. press — to push
  8. plane — a tool
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. toast — bread
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. press — a publisher
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. pitch — completely
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. press — newspapers
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. mouse — the animal

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