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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 116 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: fall · net · press · wind · can · pop · rule · fan

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. net — in sport
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. net — for catching
  6. pop — music
  7. press — newspapers
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. fall — the season
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. rule — government
  12. fall — to drop
  13. pop — soda
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. rule — a law
  16. net — after costs
  17. can — to be able to
  18. press — a publisher
  19. wind — moving air
  20. press — to push
  21. wind — moving air
  22. fall — to drop
  23. pop — to visit
  24. can — a tin

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