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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 116 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: snap · rash · coach · rush · fall · fan · mouse · press

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. press — to push
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. rash — hasty
  6. press — a publisher
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. fall — the season
  9. press — newspapers
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. rush — hurry
  16. rash — a series
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. snap — to click
  20. fall — to drop
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fan — to cool the air

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