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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. cap — of ice
  3. cap — a hat
  4. spring — of water
  5. spring — a coil
  6. press — newspapers
  7. chip — to eat
  8. root — of a word
  9. press — to push
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. land — to come down
  12. land — ground
  13. land — a country
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. root — of a plant
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. press — a publisher
  19. chip — for betting
  20. root — the cause
  21. cap — a lid
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. rush — hurry
  24. lie — to recline

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