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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.

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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: lean · spring · dip · mug · snap · press · bay · rest

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  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. press — to push
  2. mug — a face
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. spring — a coil
  5. dip — to sink
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. rest — what's left
  8. spring — the season
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. snap — to click
  11. spring — of water
  12. press — newspapers
  13. rest — a break
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. mug — to rob
  17. press — a publisher
  18. rest — what's left
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. lean — to bend
  21. mug — a cup
  22. lean — thin
  23. bay — a horse colour
  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