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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 120 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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. press — to push
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. mark — a grade
  6. press — a publisher
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. mark — a trace
  10. rash — a series
  11. snap — to click
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. rest — what's left
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. press — newspapers
  17. rush — hurry
  18. rest — a break
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. rash — hasty
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rush — to hurry

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