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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: toast · plane · snap · fall · press · mine · stock · kick

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. press — newspapers
  3. fall — to drop
  4. toast — bread
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. press — a publisher
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. press — to push
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. stock — goods
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. stock — shares
  16. mine — for digging
  17. fall — the season
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. plane — a tool
  20. snap — to click
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. kick — in football
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. stock — a soup base

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