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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: fan · date · branch · net · suit · press · mine · rash

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. rash — a series
  3. net — for catching
  4. net — in sport
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. press — to push
  8. net — after costs
  9. rash — hasty
  10. mine — for digging
  11. suit — to fit
  12. suit — in cards
  13. date — the fruit
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. suit — clothes
  16. branch — a division
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. press — newspapers
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. press — a publisher

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