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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: nail · net · date · fan · bear · roll · press · file

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. file — a line of people
  4. press — a publisher
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. press — newspapers
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. date — the fruit
  12. file — a document
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. bear — the animal
  16. roll — a list
  17. net — after costs
  18. roll — a cake
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. bear — the animal
  21. net — in sport
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. press — to push
  24. file — a tool

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