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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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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: net · snap · plane · suit · rock · press · kick · lie

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. net — for catching
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. press — to push
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. net — after costs
  10. press — a publisher
  11. plane — a tool
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. rock — a stone
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. snap — to click
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. rock — music
  18. suit — to fit
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. kick — in football
  21. suit — clothes
  22. lie — to recline
  23. suit — in cards
  24. press — newspapers

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