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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 124 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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. cue — a signal
  3. chest — of your body
  4. press — to push
  5. bank — of a river
  6. pit — a hole
  7. board — a committee
  8. date — the fruit
  9. bank — for money
  10. cue — a hint
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. chest — a box
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. spell — a short time
  16. cue — for pool
  17. pit — in a race
  18. press — newspapers
  19. board — to get on
  20. spell — letters
  21. press — a publisher
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. chest — of your body
  24. spell — magic

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