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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. pop — soda
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. cap — of ice
  5. press — newspapers
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. land — ground
  9. object — to protest
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. cap — a lid
  12. cap — a hat
  13. land — a country
  14. press — to push
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. press — a publisher
  18. pop — to visit
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. kick — in football
  21. object — a thing
  22. pop — music
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. land — to come down

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