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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · tube · deal · rest · root · net · fan · lean

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. press — to push
  4. net — after costs
  5. tube — a container
  6. net — in sport
  7. root — of a word
  8. root — the cause
  9. rest — what's left
  10. lean — thin
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. tube — the underground
  13. rest — a break
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. press — a publisher
  18. rest — what's left
  19. press — newspapers
  20. lean — to bend
  21. deal — to handle
  22. net — for catching
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. root — of a plant

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