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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. press — to push
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. bass — the fish
  8. suit — clothes
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. suit — to fit
  15. bass — low music
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. press — newspapers
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. suit — in cards
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. press — a publisher
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hide — animal skin

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