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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: mouse · scale · snap · spell · bay · press · stand · tube

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. scale — size or range
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. tube — the underground
  6. scale — in music
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. spell — a short time
  10. press — a publisher
  11. spell — magic
  12. press — to push
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. stand — to bear
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. snap — to click
  19. press — newspapers
  20. tube — a container
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. spell — letters
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. stand — on your feet

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