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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. cue — a hint
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. shower — to wash
  6. craft — boats
  7. cue — a signal
  8. chair — a leader
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. root — of a word
  11. root — of a plant
  12. shower — rain
  13. root — the cause
  14. press — to push
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. press — newspapers
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. cue — for pool
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. press — a publisher
  23. craft — a skill
  24. chair — to sit on

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