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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: press · lean · dip · suit · key · snap · mug · foot

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. press — a publisher
  4. suit — clothes
  5. key — the most important part
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. key — for a lock
  8. press — to push
  9. lean — thin
  10. suit — in cards
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. key — in music
  14. suit — to fit
  15. snap — to click
  16. dip — to sink
  17. lean — to bend
  18. mug — a face
  19. press — newspapers
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. foot — a measure
  24. mug — to rob

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