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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: stand · rush · hand · press · saw · wake · cue · land

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. stand — to bear
  3. saw — the tool
  4. land — to come down
  5. land — a country
  6. cue — for pool
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. press — newspapers
  9. wake — a trail
  10. cue — a hint
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. hand — in cards
  14. saw — the tool
  15. press — to push
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. rush — hurry
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. cue — a signal
  22. land — ground
  23. press — a publisher
  24. hand — 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