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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: firm · rush · dip · fall · mine · bore · snap · press

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. bore — to tire
  5. rush — hurry
  6. firm — decided
  7. fall — to drop
  8. snap — to click
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. dip — to sink
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. press — a publisher
  15. bore — to drill
  16. firm — steady
  17. press — newspapers
  18. press — to push
  19. firm — a company
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. fall — the season
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. mine — for digging

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