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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. band — a music group
  4. cap — a hat
  5. rush — hurry
  6. cap — a lid
  7. press — newspapers
  8. cap — of ice
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. fork — in a road
  11. press — a publisher
  12. press — to push
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. staff — employees
  17. band — a ring
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. snap — to click
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. staff — employees
  24. staff — a stick

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