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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. cap — a lid
  3. ground — crushed
  4. rest — what's left
  5. cap — of ice
  6. wound — an injury
  7. file — a line of people
  8. press — a publisher
  9. craft — a skill
  10. cap — a hat
  11. press — to push
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. press — newspapers
  14. ground — a position
  15. file — a tool
  16. ground — the earth
  17. rest — what's left
  18. file — a document
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. rest — a break
  24. craft — boats

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