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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 116 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: last · press · lash · fan · hand · object · bat · ruler

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. hand — in cards
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. last — to go on
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. object — an aim
  12. press — newspapers
  13. object — a thing
  14. bat — the animal
  15. object — to protest
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. press — to push
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. last — finally
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. last — final
  23. hand — help
  24. press — a publisher

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