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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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. snap — to snap out of it
  4. board — to get on
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. press — newspapers
  7. stem — to come from
  8. press — a publisher
  9. chest — a box
  10. wake — a trail
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. key — for a lock
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. key — the most important part
  16. board — a committee
  17. content — the amount
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. chest — of your body
  21. content — happy
  22. key — in music
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. chest — of your body

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