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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. drill — army training
  3. press — to push
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. lie — to recline
  6. cap — a lid
  7. last — final
  8. last — to go on
  9. firm — a company
  10. firm — steady
  11. cap — of ice
  12. staff — employees
  13. last — finally
  14. staff — a stick
  15. press — newspapers
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. press — a publisher
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. firm — decided
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. drill — a practice
  22. deal — to handle
  23. staff — employees
  24. drill — the tool

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