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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. press — newspapers
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. craft — a skill
  7. cap — of ice
  8. press — to push
  9. wind — moving air
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. cap — a lid
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. press — a publisher
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. toast — bread
  19. craft — boats
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. date — the fruit
  22. wind — moving air
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. craft — a handicraft

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