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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. press — to push
  3. cue — a signal
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. press — newspapers
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. cue — for pool
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. saw — the tool
  17. lie — to recline
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. saw — the tool
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. press — a publisher
  24. trunk — of a tree

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