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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: mouse · straw · press · rash · wind · charge · pound · leaves

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. press — newspapers
  4. charge — a price
  5. press — to push
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. charge — in control
  11. press — a publisher
  12. charge — electricity
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. wind — moving air
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. rash — a series
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. pound — a weight
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. rash — hasty
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. leaves — lets stay

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