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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. cue — for pool
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. press — a publisher
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. cue — a hint
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. press — newspapers
  13. roll — a cake
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. deal — to handle
  17. roll — a list
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. press — to push
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. capital — a city
  24. capital — money

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