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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. bound — tied together
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. cap — of ice
  5. shower — rain
  6. last — finally
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. shower — to wash
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. mate — a friend
  11. press — to push
  12. cap — a hat
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. last — to go on
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. press — newspapers
  17. last — final
  18. bound — obliged
  19. mate — to breed
  20. bound — certain
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. mate — a partner
  24. cap — a lid

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