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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: rush · press · calf · suit · pitcher · snap · toast · bass

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. bass — low music
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. bass — the fish
  9. suit — to fit
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. press — to push
  13. snap — to click
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. suit — in cards
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. rush — hurry
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. press — newspapers
  22. press — a publisher
  23. suit — clothes
  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