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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.

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
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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: rash · plane · wind · row · fan · press

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. rash — a series
  5. press — newspapers
  6. press — to push
  7. row — to paddle
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. plane — a tool
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. press — a publisher
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. wind — moving air
  17. row — a line
  18. rash — hasty

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