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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: snap · press · fan · cell · last · kick · pop · mouse

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. press — a publisher
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. cell — in biology
  6. cell — a phone
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. pop — soda
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. press — to push
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. pop — music
  14. press — newspapers
  15. kick — in football
  16. last — final
  17. snap — to click
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. last — finally
  22. last — to go on
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. pop — to visit

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