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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cell · roll · chest · toast · cue · press

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. chest — of your body
  4. roll — a cake
  5. press — newspapers
  6. press — a publisher
  7. cue — a hint
  8. press — to push
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. cue — a signal
  11. chest — a box
  12. roll — a list
  13. cell — in biology
  14. toast — bread
  15. chest — of your body
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. cell — a phone

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