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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. press — a publisher
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. rule — a law
  9. ball — a dance
  10. shower — to wash
  11. ball — a great time
  12. rule — government
  13. cue — for pool
  14. shower — rain
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. cue — a hint
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. press — to push
  23. vault — a safe
  24. press — newspapers

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