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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 function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. wound — an injury
  3. press — a publisher
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. wound — an injury
  7. spring — the season
  8. march — the month
  9. firm — a company
  10. cap — of ice
  11. march — music
  12. cap — a lid
  13. spring — a coil
  14. cap — a hat
  15. firm — decided
  16. firm — steady
  17. press — to push
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. march — the month
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. spring — of water
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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