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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. prune — to trim
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. press — a publisher
  6. wax — to grow
  7. cue — a hint
  8. press — newspapers
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. season — in sport
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. prune — to trim
  13. cue — for pool
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. saw — the tool
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. saw — the tool
  19. season — of the year
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. toast — bread
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. press — to push
  24. wax — in the ear

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