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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. cap — of ice
  3. spell — magic
  4. land — to come down
  5. cap — a hat
  6. land — a country
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. press — newspapers
  10. ball — a dance
  11. wind — moving air
  12. wind — moving air
  13. spell — a short time
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. press — to push
  16. fine — high quality
  17. land — ground
  18. lie — to recline
  19. ball — a great time
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. press — a publisher
  23. spell — letters
  24. cap — a lid

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