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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. cue — for pool
  3. file — a tool
  4. fall — to drop
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. cue — a signal
  7. file — a line of people
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. fall — the season
  10. press — newspapers
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. wax — to grow
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. cell — in biology
  15. fall — to drop
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. file — a document
  18. press — a publisher
  19. press — to push
  20. board — a committee
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. cell — a phone
  24. cue — a hint

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