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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: press · rule · snap · object · march · lie

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. press — newspapers
  3. march — the month
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. rule — a law
  6. object — to protest
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. press — to push
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. object — a thing
  11. press — a publisher
  12. march — music
  13. march — the month
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. lie — to recline
  16. rule — government
  17. object — an aim
  18. snap — to speak sharply

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