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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: lean · press · trunk · pass · field · bat · hand · rash

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. hand — help
  3. press — newspapers
  4. press — a publisher
  5. field — a subject
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. field — for sport
  8. lean — thin
  9. pass — a permit
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. field — farmland
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. lean — to bend
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. press — to push
  19. hand — in cards
  20. rash — hasty
  21. bat — the animal
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. lean — to rest against

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