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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'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. march — the month
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. rush — hurry
  6. march — the month
  7. can — a tin
  8. rest — a break
  9. cue — a signal
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. cue — for pool
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. press — a publisher
  16. rest — what's left
  17. march — music
  18. press — to push
  19. press — newspapers
  20. can — a tin
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. can — to be able to
  24. rest — what's left

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