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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: stick · object · snap · rock · wake · key · press · season

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. press — a publisher
  5. object — to protest
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. snap — to click
  8. season — of the year
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. press — to push
  11. object — an aim
  12. rock — music
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. key — for a lock
  15. key — in music
  16. wake — a trail
  17. object — a thing
  18. rock — a stone
  19. season — in sport
  20. key — the most important part
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. press — newspapers
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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