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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. cue — for pool
  4. press — to push
  5. band — a music group
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rest — what's left
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. snap — to click
  15. mate — to breed
  16. mate — a partner
  17. band — a ring
  18. press — newspapers
  19. mate — a friend
  20. rest — a break
  21. rash — a series
  22. rash — hasty
  23. cue — a signal
  24. press — a publisher

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