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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. cap — of ice
  3. press — a publisher
  4. mug — a cup
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. ground — the earth
  7. cap — a lid
  8. mug — to rob
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. ground — a position
  11. mug — a face
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. ground — crushed
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. press — newspapers
  16. cap — a hat
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. patient — calm and waiting

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