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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. wind — moving air
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. charge — electricity
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. game — a match
  9. charge — a price
  10. cue — for pool
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. game — wild animals
  13. chip — for betting
  14. press — newspapers
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. chip — to eat
  17. wind — moving air
  18. cue — a hint
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. charge — in control
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. press — a publisher
  24. cue — a signal

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