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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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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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  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. bat — the animal
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. bass — the fish
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. mark — a trace
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. toast — bread
  11. lean — to bend
  12. bass — low music
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. press — a publisher
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. mark — a grade
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. press — to push
  22. press — newspapers
  23. bat — in an idiom
  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