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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. track — a path
  3. press — a publisher
  4. cue — a signal
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. press — newspapers
  7. fall — to drop
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. press — to push
  11. object — an aim
  12. kick — in football
  13. object — a thing
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. prune — to trim
  16. object — to protest
  17. prune — to trim
  18. track — to keep track
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. fall — to drop
  21. cue — a hint
  22. cue — for pool
  23. track — a song
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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