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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 116 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: press · rule · rock · mark · chair · snap

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. snap — to click
  3. mark — a trace
  4. rock — a stone
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. mark — a grade
  7. rule — government
  8. rule — a law
  9. press — to push
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. press — a publisher
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. press — newspapers
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. chair — a leader
  16. rock — music
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. rule — to rule out

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