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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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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: race · press · dip · kid · nail · cue · leaves · present

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. cue — a hint
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. cue — for pool
  5. press — newspapers
  6. present — the time now
  7. kid — to tease
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. press — a publisher
  10. race — humankind
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. kid — child
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. present — a gift
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. race — the arms race
  18. race — a contest
  19. present — there
  20. cue — a signal
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. dip — to sink
  23. press — to push
  24. leaves — lets stay

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