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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 116 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: cue · row · bear · mouse · rush · clip · press · plane

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. row — a line
  4. rush — hurry
  5. press — newspapers
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. clip — for paper
  8. row — to paddle
  9. clip — a video
  10. clip — to cut
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. bear — the animal
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. press — to push
  18. cue — a hint
  19. bear — the animal
  20. cue — a signal
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. plane — a tool
  23. cue — for pool
  24. mouse — the animal

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