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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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. spell — magic
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. press — to push
  5. bore — to drill
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. spell — a short time
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. plane — a tool
  11. cap — a lid
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. press — newspapers
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. press — a publisher
  17. ground — a position
  18. cap — a hat
  19. ground — the earth
  20. bore — to tire
  21. spell — letters
  22. ground — crushed
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. coach — a trainer

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