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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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. bat — the animal
  3. cap — a hat
  4. spell — a short time
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. press — newspapers
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. press — a publisher
  10. cap — of ice
  11. rest — what's left
  12. spell — magic
  13. rest — a break
  14. press — to push
  15. wound — an injury
  16. suit — to fit
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. rest — what's left
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. cap — a lid
  22. spell — letters
  23. wound — an injury
  24. suit — in cards

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