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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. cue — for pool
  6. row — to paddle
  7. kick — in football
  8. row — a line
  9. press — a publisher
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. rock — a stone
  12. rock — music
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. cue — a signal
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. plane — a tool
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. press — to push
  21. press — newspapers
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. cue — a hint

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