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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. cap — a hat
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. object — to protest
  5. press — a publisher
  6. object — an aim
  7. press — to push
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. rock — music
  10. rock — a stone
  11. cap — of ice
  12. press — newspapers
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. sharp — clever
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. cap — a lid
  17. dip — to sink
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. fall — the season
  20. object — a thing
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. fall — to drop
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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