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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: cue · fine · hide · staff · board · press · pop · shower

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. fine — all right
  3. pop — music
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. staff — employees
  6. board — a committee
  7. cue — a signal
  8. staff — employees
  9. press — newspapers
  10. fine — high quality
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. shower — rain
  13. cue — a hint
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. staff — a stick
  16. press — a publisher
  17. pop — soda
  18. cue — for pool
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. board — to get on
  22. shower — to wash
  23. press — to push
  24. pop — to visit

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