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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. The water is too ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. suit — in cards
  3. press — newspapers
  4. spell — a short time
  5. ground — the earth
  6. mate — to breed
  7. cap — of ice
  8. suit — clothes
  9. ground — a position
  10. cold — an illness
  11. press — a publisher
  12. suit — to fit
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. mate — a partner
  15. cap — a lid
  16. ground — crushed
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. spell — magic
  20. cap — a hat
  21. stem — to come from
  22. press — to push
  23. mate — a friend
  24. spell — letters

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