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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. cap — of ice
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. press — newspapers
  10. charge — in control
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. cap — a lid
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. cap — a hat
  16. hand — help
  17. press — to push
  18. charge — electricity
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. hand — in cards
  21. lie — to recline
  22. press — a publisher
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. charge — a price

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