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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.

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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 · leaves · object · kick · rule · temple · lean · press

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. lean — thin
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. press — to push
  7. rule — government
  8. snap — to click
  9. lean — to bend
  10. press — a publisher
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. rule — a law
  13. press — newspapers
  14. object — a thing
  15. kick — in football
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. object — an aim
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. object — to protest
  24. kick — with a leg

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