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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: racket · bat · lash · press · squash · fan · kid · pass

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. kid — child
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. kid — to tease
  9. press — a publisher
  10. squash — to crush
  11. pass — a permit
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. press — newspapers
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. press — to push
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. squash — the sport
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. squash — the vegetable

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