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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 · lash · cap · saw · mate · bear · racket · fan

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. saw — the tool
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. bear — the animal
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. cap — a hat
  14. cap — of ice
  15. mate — a partner
  16. press — to push
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. mate — to breed
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. mate — a friend
  22. cap — a lid
  23. press — newspapers
  24. saw — the tool

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