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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. craft — a skill
  3. mark — a trace
  4. press — newspapers
  5. cue — a signal
  6. staff — employees
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. press — to push
  9. band — a ring
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. cue — a hint
  12. suit — in cards
  13. suit — clothes
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. mark — a grade
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. band — a music group
  18. branch — a division
  19. staff — a stick
  20. craft — boats
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. press — a publisher
  23. cue — for pool
  24. staff — employees

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