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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: snap · rush · sharp · toast · stick · press · kick · nail

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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. press — to push
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. sharp — clever
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. press — newspapers
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. rush — hurry
  12. press — a publisher
  13. kick — in football
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. toast — bread
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. snap — to click
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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