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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. sharp — clever
  3. rule — a law
  4. cap — a lid
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. cap — a hat
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. swing — music
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. press — to push
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. swing — in golf
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. press — newspapers
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. lie — to recline
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. press — a publisher
  20. swing — to play on
  21. rule — government
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. cap — of ice

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