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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. cue — a hint
  3. mark — a trace
  4. cue — for pool
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. last — finally
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. swing — to play on
  10. spell — magic
  11. mark — a grade
  12. snap — to click
  13. stand — to bear
  14. press — newspapers
  15. last — to go on
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. press — to push
  19. swing — in golf
  20. spell — letters
  21. spell — a short time
  22. press — a publisher
  23. last — final
  24. swing — music

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