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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. fine — high quality
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. cue — a signal
  6. fine — all right
  7. ball — a great time
  8. cue — a hint
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bass — low music
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. press — newspapers
  19. ball — a dance
  20. cue — for pool
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. plane — a tool
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. press — a publisher

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