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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. chest — a box
  3. cue — a hint
  4. cue — a signal
  5. prune — to trim
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. board — to get on
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. press — a publisher
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. firm — decided
  12. firm — steady
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. press — newspapers
  15. board — a committee
  16. firm — a company
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. cue — for pool
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. chest — of your body
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. chest — of your body
  24. prune — to trim

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