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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.

Words on the sheet
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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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. bear — to put up with
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. chest — a box
  6. stock — shares
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. press — newspapers
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. mug — a face
  11. press — a publisher
  12. chest — of your body
  13. bear — the animal
  14. chest — of your body
  15. bear — the animal
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. mug — a cup
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. mug — to rob
  23. stock — goods
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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