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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. drill — a practice
  3. cap — a hat
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. lie — to recline
  7. cap — of ice
  8. press — to push
  9. press — newspapers
  10. game — a match
  11. drill — army training
  12. press — a publisher
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. game — wild animals
  17. drill — the tool
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. cap — a lid
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. wake — a trail
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. lie — an untruth

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