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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: spell · press · file · snap · fan · rock · net · scale

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. file — a line of people
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. press — a publisher
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. spell — letters
  7. file — a document
  8. net — after costs
  9. file — a tool
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. scale — size or range
  12. spell — a short time
  13. net — in sport
  14. snap — to click
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. rock — music
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. spell — magic
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. scale — in music
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. press — newspapers
  23. press — to push
  24. rock — a stone

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