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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 116 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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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: deal · cell · snap · pop · fork · suit · press · mate

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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. fork — to eat with
  3. pop — music
  4. cell — a phone
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. mate — a friend
  7. press — a publisher
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. deal — to handle
  10. snap — to click
  11. suit — clothes
  12. press — to push
  13. fork — in a road
  14. press — newspapers
  15. mate — to breed
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. cell — in biology
  18. suit — in cards
  19. suit — to fit
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. pop — to visit
  23. pop — soda
  24. mate — a partner

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