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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  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 — to fit
  2. can — to be able to
  3. cap — of ice
  4. cap — a hat
  5. press — to push
  6. wind — moving air
  7. cap — a lid
  8. ground — crushed
  9. ground — the earth
  10. root — of a word
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. wax — to grow
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — a tin
  15. suit — clothes
  16. press — newspapers
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. wind — moving air
  20. ground — a position
  21. root — of a plant
  22. root — the cause
  23. press — a publisher
  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