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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. object — a thing
  3. spell — magic
  4. stock — shares
  5. fall — to drop
  6. object — an aim
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. suit — clothes
  10. press — a publisher
  11. suit — in cards
  12. fall — the season
  13. spell — a short time
  14. press — to push
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. fall — to drop
  18. spell — letters
  19. suit — to fit
  20. press — newspapers
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. stock — goods
  23. object — to protest
  24. coach — a trainer

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