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

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. cue — for pool
  3. cue — a hint
  4. suit — clothes
  5. mate — a partner
  6. press — newspapers
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. press — to push
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. kick — in football
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. cue — a signal
  13. mate — a friend
  14. suit — to fit
  15. mate — to breed
  16. press — a publisher
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. kick — a thrill

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