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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: press · roll · snap · lash · plane · degree · suit · toast

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. roll — a cake
  3. suit — to fit
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. suit — in cards
  7. snap — to click
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. suit — clothes
  10. press — a publisher
  11. degree — from a university
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. toast — bread
  14. press — to push
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. degree — temperature
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. press — newspapers
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. plane — a tool
  23. roll — a list
  24. degree — an amount

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