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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: suit · press · snap · mine · net · arm · bound · racket

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. suit — in cards
  4. press — to push
  5. snap — to click
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. mine — for digging
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. net — after costs
  11. net — in sport
  12. bound — obliged
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. bound — tied together
  15. press — a publisher
  16. press — newspapers
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. suit — to fit
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. bound — certain
  24. net — for catching

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