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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. mate — a partner
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. press — to push
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. bore — to tire
  10. fine — high quality
  11. press — newspapers
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. bore — to drill
  17. row — a line
  18. fine — all right
  19. mate — to breed
  20. press — a publisher
  21. cap — of ice
  22. row — to paddle
  23. mate — a friend
  24. cap — a hat

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