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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
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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: straw · band · prune · press · fan · current · racket · rash

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. current — of water
  4. current — happening now
  5. current — electric
  6. band — a music group
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. rash — a series
  9. rash — hasty
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. press — newspapers
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. press — a publisher
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. band — a ring
  20. press — to push
  21. prune — to trim
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. prune — to trim

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