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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 116 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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. can — to be able to
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. can — a tin
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. cap — a hat
  7. stem — to come from
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. sharp — clever
  13. can — a tin
  14. press — newspapers
  15. cap — a lid
  16. track — a song
  17. press — to push
  18. season — of the year
  19. press — a publisher
  20. track — a path
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. track — to keep track
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. season — in sport

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