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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: last · scale · lean · rash · mug · press · mark · saw

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. lean — to bend
  3. mug — a face
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. press — to push
  6. mark — a grade
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. press — newspapers
  9. saw — the tool
  10. scale — in music
  11. last — final
  12. saw — the tool
  13. rash — a series
  14. rash — hasty
  15. mug — to rob
  16. lean — thin
  17. last — to go on
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. press — a publisher
  20. last — finally
  21. scale — size or range
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. mark — a trace
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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