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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. key — the most important part
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. roll — a list
  5. roll — a cake
  6. cue — a signal
  7. lie — to recline
  8. press — to push
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. chip — for betting
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. press — newspapers
  13. chip — to eat
  14. cue — for pool
  15. key — for a lock
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. rash — a series
  18. rash — hasty
  19. key — in music
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. cue — a hint
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. chip — in a computer

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