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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. cold — an illness
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. cap — a lid
  6. press — newspapers
  7. squash — to crush
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. cap — of ice
  10. cap — a hat
  11. cold — not warm
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. fine — all right
  14. capital — a city
  15. dip — to sink
  16. fine — high quality
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. press — to push
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. capital — money
  21. rush — hurry
  22. squash — the sport
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. fine — a penalty

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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