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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. rest — what's left
  3. press — newspapers
  4. cue — for pool
  5. spell — letters
  6. press — to push
  7. spell — magic
  8. press — a publisher
  9. rest — a break
  10. spell — a short time
  11. rest — what's left
  12. fine — high quality
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. cue — a hint
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — the fish
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. saw — the tool
  20. root — of a plant
  21. fine — all right
  22. root — the cause
  23. root — of a word
  24. perch — for a bird

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