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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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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: scale · snap · stick · press · rush · root · leaves · ruler

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. press — a publisher
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. snap — to click
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. press — newspapers
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. scale — size or range
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. root — the cause
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. root — of a word
  16. root — of a plant
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. scale — in music
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. rush — hurry
  24. ruler — for measuring

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