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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: mouse · rest · mine · fall · cue · stem · fan · press

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. cue — a hint
  4. press — to push
  5. cue — for pool
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. rest — what's left
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. rest — a break
  11. press — a publisher
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. fall — the season
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. fall — to drop
  16. rest — what's left
  17. press — newspapers
  18. fall — to drop
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. stem — to come from
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. mine — for digging

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