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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: net · file · rush · press · rock · wind · face · rash

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. net — after costs
  3. face — to point toward
  4. wind — moving air
  5. press — newspapers
  6. net — in sport
  7. rash — a series
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. press — a publisher
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. net — for catching
  13. face — to confront
  14. press — to push
  15. rock — music
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. rock — a stone
  18. file — a tool
  19. file — a line of people
  20. rush — hurry
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. rash — hasty
  23. file — a document
  24. face — part of the head

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