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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · cue · press · rest · mine · spring · land · object

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. rest — what's left
  3. object — a thing
  4. press — to push
  5. object — to protest
  6. land — a country
  7. spring — of water
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. rest — a break
  10. land — ground
  11. cue — for pool
  12. press — newspapers
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. cue — a signal
  15. cue — a hint
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. rest — what's left
  18. spring — the season
  19. mine — for digging
  20. land — to come down
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. spring — a coil
  23. press — a publisher
  24. mine — an explosive

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