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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. press — a publisher
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cap — a lid
  8. saw — the tool
  9. cap — a hat
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. press — to push
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. hand — help
  16. saw — the tool
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. hand — in cards
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. press — newspapers
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. pass — a permit
  24. hand — part of the body

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