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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. season — in sport
  6. cap — a hat
  7. press — a publisher
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. press — newspapers
  10. kid — child
  11. press — to push
  12. prune — to trim
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. kid — to tease
  16. cap — a lid
  17. cap — of ice
  18. prune — to trim
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. rush — hurry
  22. deal — to handle
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. deal — a big deal

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