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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 116 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: rash · can · straw · row · press · spell · pit · key

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. rash — hasty
  3. spell — a short time
  4. press — a publisher
  5. can — to be able to
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. spell — magic
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. row — to paddle
  11. key — for a lock
  12. key — in music
  13. row — a line
  14. key — the most important part
  15. can — a tin
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. press — newspapers
  18. press — to push
  19. rash — a series
  20. pit — in a race
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. can — a tin
  23. spell — letters
  24. straw — dry grass

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