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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 120 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: fan · lash · bowl · leaves · bat · press · game · cabinet

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. game — wild animals
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. bat — the animal
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. game — a match
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. press — to push
  14. press — newspapers
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. press — a publisher
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — a supporter

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