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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: pop · press · plane · snap · bulb · mark · fall · mug

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. fall — to drop
  3. pop — to visit
  4. mug — a cup
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. mug — a face
  7. fall — the season
  8. mark — a trace
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. press — a publisher
  13. fall — to drop
  14. press — to push
  15. press — newspapers
  16. plane — a tool
  17. bulb — for light
  18. mark — a grade
  19. pop — music
  20. pop — soda
  21. mug — to rob
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — of a plant

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