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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
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: march · press · mate · rule · toast · lash · leaves · fan

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. rule — government
  8. march — the month
  9. mate — to breed
  10. press — newspapers
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. mate — a friend
  13. mate — a partner
  14. march — music
  15. toast — bread
  16. rule — a law
  17. press — a publisher
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. march — the month
  24. lash — to lash out

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