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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. press — to push
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. cold — not warm
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. cap — of ice
  8. cap — a lid
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. press — newspapers
  11. bound — certain
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. bound — tied together
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. cold — an illness
  16. bound — obliged
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. press — a publisher
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. mine — for digging

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