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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: rush · chair · lean · press · sharp · kid · snap · tube

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. lean — to bend
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. press — newspapers
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. sharp — clever
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. rush — hurry
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. chair — a leader
  15. press — to push
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. kid — to tease
  18. tube — the underground
  19. kid — child
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. lean — thin
  22. tube — a container
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. snap — to click

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