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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. cap — a lid
  5. foot — a measure
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. press — newspapers
  8. press — to push
  9. press — a publisher
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. game — a match
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. last — to go on
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. lie — to recline
  17. cap — a hat
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. last — final
  20. bear — the animal
  21. game — wild animals
  22. last — finally
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. bear — the animal

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