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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: nail · cue · straw · prune · chair · net · press · object

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. net — in sport
  4. cue — a hint
  5. cue — for pool
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. press — to push
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. object — an aim
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. prune — to trim
  15. chair — a leader
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. net — after costs
  18. object — a thing
  19. press — newspapers
  20. net — for catching
  21. object — to protest
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. prune — to trim
  24. press — a publisher

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