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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: pound · jam · face · chair · kick · press · snap · perch

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. snap — to click
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. press — to push
  6. press — newspapers
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. kick — in football
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. chair — a leader
  15. pound — a weight
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. perch — the fish
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. press — a publisher
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. face — to confront
  24. face — to point toward

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