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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. cap — a lid
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. bat — the animal
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. cold — an illness
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. press — newspapers
  10. cold — not warm
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. pass — a permit
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. cap — of ice
  15. press — a publisher
  16. season — of the year
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. cap — a hat
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. press — to push
  22. season — in sport
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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