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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. spell — letters
  8. spell — magic
  9. toast — bread
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. spell — a short time
  12. board — to get on
  13. press — newspapers
  14. cap — a lid
  15. saw — the tool
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. saw — the tool
  18. cap — of ice
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. cap — a hat
  21. board — a committee
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. press — to push
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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