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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: rush · bear · snap · press · bay · pit · fork · tear

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. press — newspapers
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. snap — to click
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. pit — a hole
  15. tear — from crying
  16. tear — from crying
  17. bear — the animal
  18. fork — in a road
  19. rush — hurry
  20. tear — to rip
  21. press — to push
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. pit — in a race
  24. rush — a thrill

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