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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. press — newspapers
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. vault — a safe
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. press — a publisher
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. date — the fruit
  11. cap — a hat
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. lean — thin
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. snap — to click
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. press — to push
  21. pass — a permit
  22. lean — to bend
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. cap — of ice

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