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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: pop · squash · file · can · straw · rock · press · mouse

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. file — a document
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. can — to be able to
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. pop — soda
  7. squash — the sport
  8. pop — music
  9. squash — to crush
  10. press — newspapers
  11. rock — music
  12. can — a tin
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. can — a tin
  16. file — a tool
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. file — a line of people
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. pop — to visit
  23. press — a publisher
  24. rock — a stone

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