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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. press — a publisher
  3. roll — a list
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. press — newspapers
  6. net — for catching
  7. file — a line of people
  8. cap — a hat
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. net — in sport
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. file — a tool
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. cap — a lid
  15. roll — a cake
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. net — after costs
  18. kick — in football
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. file — a document
  22. cap — of ice
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. press — to push

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