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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. cue — a signal
  4. press — to push
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. cue — a hint
  7. bear — the animal
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. present — the time now
  11. present — a gift
  12. kid — child
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. bear — the animal
  15. press — newspapers
  16. hand — help
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. hand — in cards
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. present — there
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. cue — for pool
  23. kid — to tease
  24. wave — of the sea

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