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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: content · snap · drill · bank · key · pass · sharp · press

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  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. sharp — with an edge
  2. content — the amount
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. press — to push
  5. press — a publisher
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. drill — a practice
  8. press — newspapers
  9. content — happy
  10. snap — to click
  11. drill — the tool
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. bank — of a river
  16. drill — army training
  17. bank — for money
  18. sharp — clever
  19. bank — for money
  20. key — the most important part
  21. pass — a permit
  22. key — for a lock
  23. key — in music
  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