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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. ground — the earth
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. cap — a hat
  5. press — newspapers
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. ground — crushed
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. game — wild animals
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. game — a match
  17. press — a publisher
  18. cap — of ice
  19. cell — a phone
  20. ground — a position
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. cap — a lid
  23. cell — in biology
  24. mouse — the animal

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