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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: fall · press · wave · date · swing · nail · rush · snap

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. fall — to drop
  4. swing — to play on
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. press — newspapers
  11. press — a publisher
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. rush — hurry
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. swing — music
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fall — the season
  19. date — the fruit
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. snap — to click
  22. press — to push
  23. swing — in golf
  24. rush — to hurry

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