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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. staff — employees
  3. suit — clothes
  4. shower — rain
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. kick — in football
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. face — part of the head
  10. cue — for pool
  11. shower — to wash
  12. face — to confront
  13. cue — a signal
  14. suit — to fit
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. press — a publisher
  17. face — to point toward
  18. staff — employees
  19. bark — to shout
  20. cue — a hint
  21. suit — in cards
  22. press — newspapers
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. press — to push

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