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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: scale · press · pop · straw · rock · can · wind · wound

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wind — moving air
  3. pop — soda
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. pop — to visit
  6. rock — a stone
  7. scale — size or range
  8. can — a tin
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. press — newspapers
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. press — a publisher
  14. wound — an injury
  15. rock — music
  16. can — to be able to
  17. scale — in music
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. press — to push
  20. can — a tin
  21. wound — an injury
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. pop — music

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