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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 120 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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. ball — a great time
  3. last — to go on
  4. press — a publisher
  5. pit — in a race
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. lean — to bend
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. cap — a lid
  11. lean — thin
  12. press — newspapers
  13. cap — of ice
  14. ball — a dance
  15. tear — from crying
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. tear — from crying
  18. tear — to rip
  19. pit — a hole
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. last — finally
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. press — to push
  24. last — final

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