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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 120 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 would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. last — final
  3. cue — a signal
  4. rest — what's left
  5. cue — for pool
  6. squash — to crush
  7. rest — what's left
  8. tube — a container
  9. cue — a hint
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. press — to push
  13. last — to go on
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. squash — the sport
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. last — finally
  19. tube — the underground
  20. press — a publisher
  21. sharp — clever
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. press — newspapers
  24. sharp — exactly

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