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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. can — a tin
  3. cue — a signal
  4. pop — soda
  5. can — a tin
  6. press — newspapers
  7. press — to push
  8. tube — a container
  9. dip — to sink
  10. cue — a hint
  11. pop — to visit
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. can — to be able to
  14. tube — the underground
  15. cue — for pool
  16. bound — tied together
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. bound — certain
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. pop — music
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. press — a publisher
  24. straw — dry grass

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