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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. staff — a stick
  3. press — a publisher
  4. press — newspapers
  5. cue — for pool
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. object — an aim
  8. cue — a hint
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. cue — a signal
  11. staff — employees
  12. pass — a permit
  13. mark — a grade
  14. shower — to wash
  15. cold — not warm
  16. object — to protest
  17. cold — an illness
  18. staff — employees
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. press — to push
  21. shower — rain
  22. mark — a trace
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. pass — to succeed

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