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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. rock — music
  6. cap — of ice
  7. track — to keep track
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. wind — moving air
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. press — a publisher
  12. track — a song
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. press — to push
  15. wind — moving air
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. cap — a hat
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. wake — a trail
  20. track — a path
  21. press — newspapers
  22. cap — a lid
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. cabinet — ministers

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