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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: press · squash · spring · pass · lash · can · lie · net

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. spring — a coil
  3. net — in sport
  4. can — a tin
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. squash — to crush
  7. can — to be able to
  8. can — a tin
  9. net — after costs
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — to recline
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. pass — a permit
  14. spring — of water
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. press — a publisher
  18. net — for catching
  19. squash — the sport
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. spring — the season
  22. press — newspapers
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. press — to push

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