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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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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: root · press · saw · pass · lash · net · rule · fall

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. net — after costs
  3. press — a publisher
  4. net — in sport
  5. net — for catching
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. press — newspapers
  8. fall — to drop
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. fall — the season
  11. saw — the tool
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. fall — to drop
  14. root — of a word
  15. saw — the tool
  16. root — of a plant
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. root — the cause
  20. rule — a law
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. press — to push
  23. rule — government
  24. pass — a permit

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