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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. cue — a signal
  3. cue — a hint
  4. hand — in cards
  5. cue — for pool
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. press — newspapers
  12. squash — the sport
  13. press — a publisher
  14. prune — to trim
  15. object — a thing
  16. hand — help
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. object — an aim
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. prune — to trim
  21. press — to push
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. object — to protest
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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