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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: key · wave · jam · foot · snap · pound · press · wake

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  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. pound — a weight
  2. key — for a lock
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. wake — a trail
  5. key — in music
  6. press — to push
  7. press — a publisher
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. foot — a measure
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. press — newspapers
  19. snap — to click
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. key — the most important part
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  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