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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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. roll — a cake
  4. press — newspapers
  5. cap — a lid
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. row — to paddle
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. rush — hurry
  11. press — a publisher
  12. press — to push
  13. cap — of ice
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. row — a line
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. cap — a hat

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