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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 120 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 · content · straw · suit · mate · press · bark · spell

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. snap — to click
  5. spell — a short time
  6. content — happy
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. suit — clothes
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. spell — letters
  12. spell — magic
  13. bark — to shout
  14. mate — a partner
  15. mate — a friend
  16. suit — in cards
  17. press — to push
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. content — the amount
  21. suit — to fit
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. mate — to breed
  24. press — a publisher

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