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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: toast · object · lash · land · snap · racket · pop · press

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. press — to push
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. land — ground
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. pop — music
  7. object — a thing
  8. snap — to click
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. press — a publisher
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. press — newspapers
  14. object — to protest
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. toast — bread
  19. object — an aim
  20. land — to come down
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. pop — to visit
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. land — a country

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