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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 best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. rock — music
  4. object — a thing
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. press — to push
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. cap — a lid
  15. object — to protest
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. rock — a stone
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. cap — of ice
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. stand — to bear
  22. press — a publisher
  23. object — an aim
  24. press — newspapers

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