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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: net · press · bore · current · snap · file · root · branch

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. press — a publisher
  3. root — the cause
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. root — of a word
  6. current — happening now
  7. bore — to tire
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. branch — a division
  10. current — of water
  11. current — electric
  12. net — after costs
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. net — for catching
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. bore — to drill
  17. file — a line of people
  18. file — a document
  19. press — newspapers
  20. snap — to click
  21. file — a tool
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. root — of a plant
  24. net — in 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