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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. press — to push
  3. cue — for pool
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. rush — hurry
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. bear — the animal
  9. club — for golf
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. fall — the season
  12. fork — in a road
  13. club — a group
  14. bear — the animal
  15. cue — a signal
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. fall — to drop
  19. cue — a hint
  20. press — newspapers
  21. press — a publisher
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. club — for dancing
  24. dip — to sink

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