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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. cap — of ice
  3. cap — a lid
  4. lie — to recline
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. chest — of your body
  7. press — to push
  8. suit — to fit
  9. saw — the tool
  10. cap — a hat
  11. suit — clothes
  12. pit — in a race
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. chest — of your body
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. tube — a container
  17. chest — a box
  18. tube — the underground
  19. pit — a hole
  20. press — newspapers
  21. suit — in cards
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. press — a publisher

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