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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
468
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 · rush · kid · bore · fan · bank · net · snap

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. net — for catching
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. net — in sport
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. net — after costs
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. bore — to tire
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. kid — child
  16. bank — of a river
  17. bank — for money
  18. press — to push
  19. kid — to tease
  20. press — newspapers
  21. press — a publisher
  22. snap — to click
  23. bank — for money
  24. bore — to drill

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