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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 116 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.

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: press · fan · lash · pitch · stem · cabinet · cap · lean

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. pitch — completely
  4. press — to push
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cap — of ice
  8. lean — to bend
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. press — newspapers
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. lean — thin
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. stem — to come from
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. cap — a lid
  21. press — a publisher
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. cap — a hat

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