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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. spring — a coil
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. fall — to drop
  5. mate — to breed
  6. cap — of ice
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bat — the animal
  9. fall — the season
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. deal — to handle
  13. press — newspapers
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. spring — the season
  16. mate — a partner
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. cap — a hat
  19. cap — a lid
  20. press — to push
  21. press — a publisher
  22. mate — a friend
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. spring — of water

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