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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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Word bank
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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: spring · mine · hide · board · press · cue · deal · cell

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. press — to push
  3. press — a publisher
  4. spring — the season
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. board — a committee
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. cell — a phone
  9. spring — a coil
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. press — newspapers
  13. spring — of water
  14. cell — in biology
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. mine — for digging
  18. cue — a signal
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. cue — a hint
  23. board — to get on
  24. deal — to handle

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