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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: pitcher · hand · press · fan · perch · lash · fine · land

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. hand — in cards
  3. fine — high quality
  4. land — to come down
  5. press — newspapers
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. land — a country
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. land — ground
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. press — to push
  13. hand — help
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. press — a publisher
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. perch — the fish
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. fine — all right
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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