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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. snap — to click
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. press — a publisher
  6. press — to push
  7. cap — a lid
  8. net — for catching
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. cap — of ice
  11. ball — a great time
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. cap — a hat
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. net — in sport
  16. press — newspapers
  17. stand — to bear
  18. lean — thin
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. roll — a cake
  21. net — after costs
  22. lean — to bend
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. roll — a list

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