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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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  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. staff — a stick
  2. press — to push
  3. roll — a list
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. staff — employees
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. drill — the tool
  8. drill — army training
  9. roll — a cake
  10. ball — a great time
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. dip — to sink
  13. press — newspapers
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. press — a publisher
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. drill — a practice
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. cue — a signal
  21. ball — a dance
  22. cue — a hint
  23. cue — for pool
  24. staff — employees

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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