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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: press · suit · cue · mouse · spring · staff · clip · coach

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. spring — a coil
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. spring — of water
  7. suit — to fit
  8. staff — a stick
  9. suit — in cards
  10. press — newspapers
  11. spring — the season
  12. cue — for pool
  13. staff — employees
  14. press — a publisher
  15. cue — a signal
  16. clip — a video
  17. suit — clothes
  18. staff — employees
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. clip — for paper
  22. cue — a hint
  23. clip — to cut
  24. press — to push

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