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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.

Make a worksheet

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: kick · pitcher · press · lash · chest · file · roll · fan

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. press — newspapers
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. file — a document
  5. file — a line of people
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. roll — a list
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. chest — a box
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. press — to push
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. roll — a cake
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. press — a publisher
  20. file — a tool
  21. chest — of your body
  22. chest — of your body
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. kick — in football

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