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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. object — to protest
  3. object — an aim
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. rock — music
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. cap — a lid
  9. wake — a trail
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. cap — of ice
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. press — a publisher
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. pass — a permit
  19. object — a thing
  20. press — to push
  21. press — newspapers
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. rock — a stone

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