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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 116 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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. mate — a partner
  4. press — to push
  5. cold — not warm
  6. mug — a face
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. cue — a hint
  10. hand — in cards
  11. hand — help
  12. mate — to breed
  13. pit — in a race
  14. cue — a signal
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. press — newspapers
  17. mug — a cup
  18. mate — a friend
  19. pit — a hole
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. press — a publisher
  23. cold — an illness
  24. mug — to rob

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