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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. ball — a dance
  3. cue — a signal
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. object — a thing
  6. saw — the tool
  7. cue — a hint
  8. fall — to drop
  9. object — an aim
  10. fall — the season
  11. object — to protest
  12. press — newspapers
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. mark — a grade
  15. ball — a great time
  16. fall — to drop
  17. press — a publisher
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. band — a ring
  20. saw — the tool
  21. mark — a trace
  22. cue — for pool
  23. press — to push
  24. band — a rubber band

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