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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. club — a group
  3. season — of the year
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. cap — a hat
  7. last — to go on
  8. root — the cause
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. last — final
  11. cap — of ice
  12. press — newspapers
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. root — of a word
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. club — for dancing
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. season — in sport
  19. cap — a lid
  20. root — of a plant
  21. last — finally
  22. press — a publisher
  23. club — for golf
  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