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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: last · snap · chest · pop · press · spell · cue · tear

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. pop — soda
  3. press — newspapers
  4. chest — a box
  5. spell — a short time
  6. cue — a signal
  7. spell — letters
  8. last — finally
  9. tear — from crying
  10. snap — to click
  11. chest — of your body
  12. chest — of your body
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. last — to go on
  15. last — final
  16. tear — to rip
  17. cue — for pool
  18. press — to push
  19. press — a publisher
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. pop — to visit
  22. pop — music
  23. cue — a hint
  24. spell — magic

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