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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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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: net · arm · snap · press · cue · bore · squash · stand

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. cue — a hint
  3. bore — to tire
  4. net — in sport
  5. stand — to bear
  6. press — a publisher
  7. snap — to click
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. squash — the sport
  10. net — for catching
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. bore — to drill
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. cue — a signal
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. squash — to crush
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. press — to push
  23. net — after costs
  24. press — newspapers

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