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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 · board · arm · nail · stick · press · dip · cue

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. cue — for pool
  3. file — a tool
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. press — newspapers
  6. cue — a signal
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. board — to get on
  10. press — a publisher
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. cue — a hint
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. dip — to sink
  15. file — a line of people
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. board — a committee
  21. press — to push
  22. file — a document
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. arm — part of the body

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