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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: fall · squash · bay · press · lash · bound · lie · key

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. squash — the sport
  4. key — for a lock
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bound — certain
  10. key — the most important part
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. press — to push
  15. key — in music
  16. fall — to drop
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. squash — to crush
  19. lie — to recline
  20. bound — tied together
  21. press — a publisher
  22. press — newspapers
  23. fall — the season
  24. fall — to drop

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