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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. snap — to click
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. scale — in music
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. board — to get on
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. press — newspapers
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. press — a publisher
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. toast — bread
  15. sharp — clever
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. board — a committee
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. scale — size or range
  23. wake — a trail
  24. wake — before a funeral

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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