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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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468
Word bank
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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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. ball — a round shape
  4. ball — a great time
  5. object — an aim
  6. snap — to click
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. object — to protest
  11. object — a thing
  12. toast — bread
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. sharp — clever
  15. press — a publisher
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. date — the fruit
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. press — newspapers
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. ball — a dance
  24. date — on the calendar

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