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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. press — to push
  3. cap — of ice
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. press — newspapers
  6. land — ground
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. press — a publisher
  9. lean — thin
  10. land — to come down
  11. prune — to trim
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. prune — to trim
  16. lean — to bend
  17. land — a country
  18. cap — a lid

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