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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 116 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: cue · safe · stand · press · craft · bat · snap · file

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. snap — to click
  3. press — to push
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. file — a document
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. press — a publisher
  9. craft — a skill
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. stand — to bear
  12. cue — for pool
  13. bat — the animal
  14. cue — a signal
  15. file — a tool
  16. craft — boats
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. cue — a hint
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. file — a line of people
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. press — newspapers
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. safe — out of danger

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