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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. mug — a face
  3. press — a publisher
  4. press — to push
  5. mug — a cup
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. pop — to visit
  9. bark — to shout
  10. cap — a lid
  11. roll — a cake
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. roll — a list
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. cap — a hat
  17. pop — music
  18. rest — a break
  19. mug — to rob
  20. press — newspapers
  21. sharp — clever
  22. pop — soda
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — what's left

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