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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 116 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: cue · press · safe · bark · deal · sharp · staff · cell

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. cue — a hint
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. staff — a stick
  5. cell — a phone
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. sharp — clever
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. deal — to handle
  13. bark — to shout
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. cell — in biology
  16. staff — employees
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. staff — employees
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. cue — a signal
  21. press — a publisher
  22. press — newspapers
  23. cue — for pool
  24. safe — out of danger

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