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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 116 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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. cap — a lid
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. net — in sport
  5. net — after costs
  6. face — to point toward
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. snap — to click
  9. cap — a hat
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. cap — of ice
  12. press — a publisher
  13. face — to confront
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. press — to push
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. dip — to sink
  19. face — part of the head
  20. press — newspapers
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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