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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.

Make a worksheet

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: charge · tear · racket · mark · lash · pop · press · fan

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. press — to push
  3. pop — soda
  4. press — newspapers
  5. tear — to rip
  6. press — a publisher
  7. mark — a trace
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. charge — a price
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. pop — music
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. tear — from crying
  18. tear — from crying
  19. mark — a grade
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. charge — electricity
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. charge — in control
  24. fan — to cool the air

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