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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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. cap — a hat
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. kid — to tease
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. cap — a lid
  9. press — a publisher
  10. press — to push
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. sharp — clever
  13. board — to get on
  14. lean — thin
  15. rush — hurry
  16. board — a committee
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. kid — child
  22. lean — to bend
  23. press — newspapers
  24. board — a flat piece

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