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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. kid — to tease
  3. bank — of a river
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. face — to point toward
  6. cue — a signal
  7. press — a publisher
  8. club — for dancing
  9. press — newspapers
  10. bank — for money
  11. cue — a hint
  12. pop — soda
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. pop — music
  15. club — for golf
  16. cue — for pool
  17. face — part of the head
  18. pop — to visit
  19. face — to confront
  20. dip — to sink
  21. press — to push
  22. bank — for money
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. club — a group

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