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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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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: file · mouse · lean · capital · press · pass · bay · cue

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. pass — a permit
  4. file — a line of people
  5. file — a tool
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. cue — a hint
  9. lean — to bend
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. cue — for pool
  12. press — newspapers
  13. capital — money
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. capital — a city
  18. press — a publisher
  19. press — to push
  20. file — a document
  21. lean — thin
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. pass — to spend time

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