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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. fine — high quality
  4. ball — a great time
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. ball — a dance
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. press — to push
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. cold — not warm
  16. press — a publisher
  17. press — newspapers
  18. cold — an illness
  19. fine — all right
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. date — the fruit
  22. mug — a cup
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. mug — a face

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