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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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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 · mate · date · press · face · racket · staff · ruler

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. press — to push
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. staff — employees
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. mate — a friend
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. press — a publisher
  10. face — to confront
  11. mate — a partner
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. press — newspapers
  17. staff — a stick
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. staff — employees
  20. mate — to breed
  21. face — part of the head
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. date — the fruit
  24. face — to point toward

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