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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. chest — of your body
  3. board — to get on
  4. snap — to click
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mine — for digging
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. chest — of your body
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. vault — a safe
  11. cue — a signal
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. press — newspapers
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. chest — a box
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. board — a committee
  21. cue — a hint
  22. cue — for pool
  23. press — a publisher
  24. press — to push

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