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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.

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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: press · degree · fine · spring · net · rash · plane · rush

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. degree — an amount
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. net — in sport
  5. rash — a series
  6. press — newspapers
  7. rush — hurry
  8. fine — all right
  9. spring — a coil
  10. rash — hasty
  11. degree — temperature
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. spring — of water
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. fine — high quality
  16. spring — the season
  17. plane — a tool
  18. press — to push
  19. degree — from a university
  20. net — after costs
  21. net — for catching
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. press — a publisher
  24. rush — to hurry

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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