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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 116 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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. press — a publisher
  4. kid — to tease
  5. cap — a hat
  6. press — newspapers
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. spell — letters
  9. cap — a lid
  10. rash — a series
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. spell — magic
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. kid — child
  18. rash — hasty
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. press — to push
  21. cap — of ice
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. bowl — a dish

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