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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. mug — a cup
  4. kid — to tease
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. press — newspapers
  9. fall — the season
  10. cue — a hint
  11. cue — for pool
  12. kid — child
  13. press — a publisher
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. mug — to rob
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. fall — to drop
  18. craft — boats
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. craft — a skill
  21. mug — a face
  22. fall — to drop
  23. press — to push
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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