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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 · racket · fine · fall · lash · mark · toast · saw

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. press — a publisher
  4. saw — the tool
  5. press — to push
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. toast — bread
  11. fine — high quality
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. mark — a grade
  15. mark — a trace
  16. saw — the tool
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. press — newspapers
  20. fall — the season
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — to drop
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. fine — all right

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