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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: suit · snap · press · stand · rule · mark · last · bass

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. last — final
  4. press — to push
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. suit — in cards
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. press — newspapers
  10. mark — a grade
  11. press — a publisher
  12. suit — to fit
  13. bass — low music
  14. rule — a law
  15. rule — government
  16. last — to go on
  17. bass — the fish
  18. stand — to bear
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. mark — a trace
  23. last — finally
  24. suit — clothes

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