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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: leaves · straw · press · scale · cue · hand · pass · degree

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. press — to push
  3. cue — a signal
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. scale — in music
  6. press — a publisher
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. scale — size or range
  9. cue — for pool
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. degree — from a university
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. degree — an amount
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. press — newspapers
  17. pass — a permit
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. hand — in cards
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. degree — temperature
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. cue — a hint
  24. hand — help

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