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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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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. snap — to click
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. object — an aim
  5. mine — for digging
  6. object — to protest
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. pit — a hole
  10. net — after costs
  11. net — for catching
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. pit — in a race
  14. object — a thing
  15. net — in sport
  16. press — a publisher
  17. press — to push
  18. snap — to snap out of it

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