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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · rash · trunk · wave · pass · snap · sharp · fine

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. press — a publisher
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. rash — hasty
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. fine — high quality
  9. rash — a series
  10. pass — a permit
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. fine — all right
  14. press — newspapers
  15. snap — to click
  16. sharp — clever
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. press — to push
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. trunk — of a tree

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