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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 120 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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. press — a publisher
  3. charge — electricity
  4. bear — the animal
  5. band — a music group
  6. lie — to recline
  7. cap — a hat
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. pit — a hole
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. press — newspapers
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. cap — a lid
  15. pit — in a race
  16. bear — the animal
  17. charge — in control
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. press — to push
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. charge — a price
  23. cap — of ice
  24. lie — an untruth

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