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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: field · staff · press · fan · lie · fall · lash · suit

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. staff — employees
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. field — farmland
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. suit — clothes
  9. press — newspapers
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fall — the season
  12. press — to push
  13. suit — in cards
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. field — a subject
  16. press — a publisher
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fall — to drop
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. staff — employees
  21. suit — to fit
  22. lie — to recline
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. field — for sport

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