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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. cap — a hat
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. spring — a coil
  6. wind — moving air
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. cap — a lid
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. press — newspapers
  12. spring — the season
  13. prune — to trim
  14. pitch — completely
  15. wind — moving air
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. press — a publisher
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. spring — of water
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. cap — of ice
  24. prune — to trim

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