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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: lash · snap · field · staff · press · firm · face · pop

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. field — farmland
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. press — newspapers
  5. firm — steady
  6. firm — decided
  7. snap — to click
  8. pop — music
  9. face — to confront
  10. field — a subject
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. field — for sport
  13. pop — to visit
  14. press — a publisher
  15. face — to point toward
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. staff — a stick
  18. press — to push
  19. firm — a company
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. staff — employees
  22. staff — employees
  23. face — part of the head
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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