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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: dip · date · row · shower · stick · deal · press · cue

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. press — to push
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. date — the fruit
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. shower — to wash
  13. cue — for pool
  14. row — to paddle
  15. shower — rain
  16. cue — a signal
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. row — a line
  20. deal — to handle
  21. cue — a hint
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. press — a publisher
  24. dip — to sink

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