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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. pop — to visit
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. press — newspapers
  6. saw — the tool
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. rock — music
  10. press — to push
  11. face — to point toward
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. pop — music
  18. rock — a stone
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. press — a publisher
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. face — part of the head
  23. pop — soda
  24. face — to confront

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