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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.

Make a worksheet

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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. snap — to click
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. spell — magic
  5. press — a publisher
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. press — newspapers
  8. press — to push
  9. ball — a great time
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. ball — a dance
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. rush — hurry
  16. spell — a short time
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. pitcher — a jug

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