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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. press — a publisher
  3. cue — for pool
  4. firm — steady
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. last — finally
  7. press — newspapers
  8. last — final
  9. cue — a hint
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. wind — moving air
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. hand — help
  14. hand — in cards
  15. firm — a company
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. press — to push
  18. wind — moving air
  19. scale — size or range
  20. firm — decided
  21. last — to go on
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. cue — a signal
  24. scale — in 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