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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. mark — a trace
  3. press — a publisher
  4. press — newspapers
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. march — music
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. march — the month
  9. band — a ring
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. band — a music group
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. cap — of ice
  14. cap — a lid
  15. lean — to bend
  16. lean — thin
  17. cap — a hat
  18. press — to push
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. march — the month
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. squash — to crush
  24. squash — the sport

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