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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 120 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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. hand — in cards
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. cue — a hint
  10. spell — letters
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. cue — for pool
  13. press — a publisher
  14. spell — a short time
  15. spell — magic
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. hand — help
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. press — newspapers
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. press — to push
  23. wind — moving air
  24. temple — side of the head

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