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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 120 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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. cap — a hat
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. bore — to drill
  7. rest — what's left
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. press — to push
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. cap — a lid
  14. rest — what's left
  15. mine — for digging
  16. bore — to tire
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. lie — to recline
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. rest — a break
  23. press — newspapers
  24. press — a publisher

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