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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 120 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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. press — a publisher
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. cap — a hat
  6. press — newspapers
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. row — a line
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. row — to paddle
  12. mark — a grade
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. cap — a lid
  15. cap — of ice
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. fall — the season
  18. fall — to drop
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. fall — to drop
  21. plane — a tool
  22. rush — hurry
  23. press — to push
  24. plane — an aircraft

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