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

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. cell — a phone
  3. cap — a hat
  4. cap — a lid
  5. cell — in biology
  6. bank — for money
  7. bank — for money
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. cap — of ice
  11. press — to push
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. press — newspapers
  15. bank — of a river
  16. kick — in football
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. racket — for tennis

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