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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. mark — a trace
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. last — finally
  6. fork — in a road
  7. last — final
  8. press — newspapers
  9. press — to push
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. cap — a hat
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. toast — bread
  14. season — in sport
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. mark — a grade
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. press — a publisher
  20. season — of the year
  21. last — to go on
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. cap — of ice

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