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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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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: dip · press · rule · march · fine · bat · fan · lash

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. press — newspapers
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. march — the month
  5. march — the month
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fine — high quality
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. rule — government
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bat — the animal
  12. march — music
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. rule — a law
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. press — a publisher
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. press — to push
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. fine — all right
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. dip — to sink

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