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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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468
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 · staff · kick · jam · net · stem · press · board

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. press — to push
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. board — a committee
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. press — a publisher
  7. net — in sport
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. snap — to click
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. staff — a stick
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. net — for catching
  14. board — to get on
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. kick — in football
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. staff — employees
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. press — newspapers
  21. net — after costs
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. staff — employees

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