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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. cue — a signal
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. bound — obliged
  9. rock — a stone
  10. press — to push
  11. cue — for pool
  12. bound — tied together
  13. object — an aim
  14. cue — a hint
  15. press — a publisher
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. game — a match
  18. rock — music
  19. bound — certain
  20. object — a thing
  21. game — wild animals
  22. press — newspapers
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. object — to protest

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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