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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. cell — a phone
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. cap — a hat
  5. firm — a company
  6. press — newspapers
  7. last — final
  8. mark — a trace
  9. cap — of ice
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. rash — hasty
  12. firm — steady
  13. cell — in biology
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. last — to go on
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. last — finally
  18. craft — a skill
  19. rash — a series
  20. press — to push
  21. press — a publisher
  22. craft — boats
  23. firm — decided
  24. mark — a grade

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