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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: rush · row · press · snap · stick · toast · lean · jam

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. row — to paddle
  5. rush — hurry
  6. lean — to bend
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. toast — bread
  9. press — a publisher
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. press — newspapers
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. snap — to click
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. lean — thin
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. row — a line
  24. press — to push

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