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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. mine — for digging
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. press — a publisher
  6. cap — of ice
  7. date — the fruit
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. row — to paddle
  14. press — newspapers
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. press — to push
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. cap — a hat
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. dip — to sink
  22. toast — bread
  23. row — a line
  24. mine — belonging to me

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