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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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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: press · present · fan · trunk · fall · suit · chest · lash

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. press — to push
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. suit — clothes
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. press — a publisher
  7. suit — to fit
  8. present — a gift
  9. fall — to drop
  10. present — the time now
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. fall — the season
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. chest — a box
  18. chest — of your body
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. present — there
  21. suit — in cards
  22. fall — to drop
  23. chest — of your body
  24. fan — a supporter

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