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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 120 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. board — to get on
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. net — in sport
  6. net — for catching
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. board — a committee
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. ground — crushed
  11. rest — a break
  12. net — after costs
  13. lean — to bend
  14. press — newspapers
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. ground — a position
  17. press — a publisher
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. ground — the earth
  20. rest — what's left
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. press — to push
  23. rest — what's left
  24. lean — thin

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