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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 116 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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. cue — for pool
  4. land — a country
  5. rest — what's left
  6. wind — moving air
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. rest — a break
  10. saw — the tool
  11. land — to come down
  12. press — newspapers
  13. spring — of water
  14. spring — a coil
  15. cue — a hint
  16. wind — moving air
  17. lie — to recline
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. land — ground
  20. saw — the tool
  21. rest — what's left
  22. press — a publisher
  23. spring — the season
  24. cue — a signal

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