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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. cue — a signal
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. pop — to visit
  5. press — newspapers
  6. cue — a hint
  7. rule — a law
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. pop — music
  10. pop — soda
  11. press — to push
  12. cue — for pool
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. rule — government

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