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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. cue — a signal
  3. press — to push
  4. press — newspapers
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. cue — a hint
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. mark — a grade
  9. capital — money
  10. capital — a city
  11. club — a group
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. object — to protest
  15. rest — a break
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. club — for dancing
  18. object — a thing
  19. rest — what's left
  20. cue — for pool
  21. club — for golf
  22. press — a publisher
  23. mark — a trace
  24. rest — what's left

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