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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 can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. cue — a signal
  3. lie — to recline
  4. branch — a division
  5. pass — a permit
  6. pop — music
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. press — a publisher
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. pop — soda
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. present — the time now
  13. squash — the sport
  14. press — to push
  15. cue — a hint
  16. present — there
  17. squash — to crush
  18. present — a gift
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. press — newspapers
  21. pop — to visit
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. lie — an untruth

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