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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rule · snap · stick · toast · bass · press

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. press — to push
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. bass — low music
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. snap — to click
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. press — newspapers
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. rule — a law
  14. toast — bread
  15. rule — government
  16. press — a publisher
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. bass — the fish

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