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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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468
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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. prune — to trim
  3. hand — in cards
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. lie — to recline
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. prune — to trim
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. press — newspapers
  13. press — a publisher
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. cap — a lid
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. hand — help
  21. cap — of ice
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. pass — a permit
  24. press — to push

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