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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. spring — of water
  4. spell — letters
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. cap — a hat
  9. spell — magic
  10. toast — bread
  11. rash — hasty
  12. press — to push
  13. press — newspapers
  14. spell — a short time
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. cap — a lid
  19. dip — to sink
  20. spring — the season
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. cap — of ice
  23. rash — a series
  24. spring — a coil

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