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

Word bank: club · temple · snap · press · stick · row

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. row — to paddle
  4. press — newspapers
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. club — a group
  10. club — for golf
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. press — a publisher
  13. press — to push
  14. row — a line
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. club — for dancing
  18. temple — a place of worship

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