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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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. net — after costs
  3. cue — for pool
  4. cue — a hint
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. last — final
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. mug — to rob
  12. net — in sport
  13. cue — a signal
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. press — newspapers
  16. last — to go on
  17. mug — a cup
  18. last — finally
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. press — a publisher
  21. mug — a face
  22. net — for catching
  23. fork — in a road
  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