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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: snap · chip · bay · saw · band · jam · press · lash

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. press — a publisher
  3. saw — the tool
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. chip — to eat
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. band — a ring
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. saw — the tool
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. chip — for betting
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. press — to push
  19. band — a music group
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. snap — to click
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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