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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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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. mug — a cup
  3. cap — a hat
  4. dip — to sink
  5. prune — to trim
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. hand — in cards
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. hand — help
  12. cap — a lid
  13. cap — of ice
  14. press — a publisher
  15. mug — to rob
  16. prune — to trim
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. press — newspapers
  20. wax — to grow
  21. press — to push
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. mug — a face

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