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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: rest · rock · cabinet · snap · wind · cue · lie · press

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. snap — to click
  3. rock — music
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. cue — a signal
  6. cue — for pool
  7. cue — a hint
  8. lie — to recline
  9. rest — a break
  10. wind — moving air
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. press — to push
  14. press — newspapers
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. press — a publisher
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. rock — a stone
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. wind — moving air
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rest — what's left
  24. lie — an untruth

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