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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. bore — to tire
  3. degree — temperature
  4. rest — what's left
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. degree — an amount
  7. bore — to drill
  8. press — to push
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. rest — what's left
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. cue — a hint
  13. pop — music
  14. rest — a break
  15. lie — to recline
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. press — a publisher
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. degree — from a university
  21. pop — soda
  22. cue — for pool
  23. press — newspapers
  24. pop — to visit

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