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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: cue · last · dip · ruler · straw · snap · branch · press

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. dip — to sink
  4. press — to push
  5. last — finally
  6. press — a publisher
  7. press — newspapers
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. last — final
  15. branch — a division
  16. snap — to click
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. cue — for pool
  22. cue — a hint
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. last — to go on

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