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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 120 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: bound · file · root · drill · cold · press · firm · cue

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. drill — the tool
  3. cold — not warm
  4. file — a line of people
  5. press — a publisher
  6. bound — obliged
  7. drill — a practice
  8. bound — tied together
  9. cue — a hint
  10. file — a tool
  11. root — of a plant
  12. root — of a word
  13. press — to push
  14. cue — for pool
  15. root — the cause
  16. drill — army training
  17. firm — a company
  18. file — a document
  19. firm — decided
  20. firm — steady
  21. press — newspapers
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. cold — an illness
  24. bound — certain

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