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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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Word bank
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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: press · snap · spell · pop · rash · stock

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. press — newspapers
  3. spell — a short time
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. rash — hasty
  6. press — a publisher
  7. snap — to click
  8. stock — shares
  9. pop — music
  10. rash — a series
  11. pop — to visit
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. spell — letters
  15. pop — soda
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. spell — magic
  18. stock — goods

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