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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. can — a tin
  3. pop — soda
  4. can — to be able to
  5. press — newspapers
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. pop — to visit
  8. spell — letters
  9. cap — a lid
  10. lie — to recline
  11. roll — a list
  12. tube — the underground
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. press — to push
  15. can — a tin
  16. cap — of ice
  17. spell — a short time
  18. spell — magic
  19. press — a publisher
  20. cap — a hat
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. roll — a cake
  24. tube — a container

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