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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.

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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  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. bank — for money
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. mug — to rob
  4. tube — the underground
  5. press — a publisher
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. cap — a lid
  8. mug — a cup
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. cold — not warm
  11. mug — a face
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. bank — for money
  15. press — to push
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. cap — a hat
  18. bank — of a river
  19. cap — of ice
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. cold — an illness
  22. tube — a container
  23. cabinet — ministers
  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