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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: current · band · press · key · saw · fan · rash · squash

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. rash — a series
  4. rash — hasty
  5. band — a ring
  6. press — to push
  7. band — a music group
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. squash — to crush
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. key — in music
  12. press — newspapers
  13. current — electric
  14. key — the most important part
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. current — of water
  18. current — happening now
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. key — for a lock
  23. press — a publisher
  24. squash — the 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