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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fan · content · press · nail · prune · stick · march · snap

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. press — newspapers
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. press — a publisher
  14. snap — to click
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. content — happy
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. prune — to trim
  19. march — the month
  20. march — music
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. content — the amount
  23. press — to push
  24. prune — to trim

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