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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 124 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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. prune — to trim
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. toast — bread
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. press — newspapers
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. press — to push
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. fork — in a road
  18. press — a publisher
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. cue — for pool
  21. prune — to trim
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. cue — a signal
  24. cue — a hint

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