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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. press — a publisher
  3. saw — the tool
  4. face — to point toward
  5. craft — a skill
  6. craft — boats
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. face — to confront
  10. face — part of the head
  11. degree — temperature
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. cap — of ice
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. degree — an amount
  17. press — newspapers
  18. dip — to sink
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. saw — the tool
  22. degree — from a university
  23. cap — a hat
  24. press — to push

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