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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 116 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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. rock — music
  5. degree — from a university
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. press — newspapers
  8. press — a publisher
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. degree — an amount
  11. pit — in a race
  12. degree — temperature
  13. snap — to click
  14. kick — in football
  15. fork — in a road
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. pit — a hole
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. deal — to handle
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. rock — a stone
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. deal — an agreement

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