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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: fan · lie · mate · nail · snap · prune · press · pitch

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. lie — to recline
  3. press — a publisher
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. snap — to click
  6. mate — a friend
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. press — newspapers
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. mate — to breed
  15. mate — a partner
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — to trim
  22. pitch — completely
  23. press — to push
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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