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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. cue — a signal
  5. mug — to rob
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. press — a publisher
  8. press — to push
  9. bound — tied together
  10. cue — a hint
  11. mark — a grade
  12. band — a music group
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. press — newspapers
  15. band — a ring
  16. bound — obliged
  17. last — final
  18. bound — certain
  19. mark — a trace
  20. last — to go on
  21. last — finally
  22. cue — for pool
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. mug — a face

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