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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: safe · snap · roll · press · wake · march · key · jam

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. press — to push
  4. key — the most important part
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. press — newspapers
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. march — the month
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. snap — to click
  11. key — for a lock
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. march — music
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. press — a publisher
  16. wake — a trail
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. roll — a list
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. march — the month
  22. key — in music
  23. roll — a cake
  24. roll — on a roll

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