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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. press — a publisher
  3. band — a ring
  4. press — to push
  5. prune — to trim
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. band — a music group
  8. squash — to crush
  9. mug — a face
  10. mug — to rob
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. cue — a hint
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. squash — the sport
  15. hand — in cards
  16. mark — a grade
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. cue — for pool
  20. mug — a cup
  21. cue — a signal
  22. hand — help
  23. prune — to trim
  24. press — newspapers

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