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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: present · press · cap · wound · cabinet · can · saw · cue

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. press — a publisher
  3. can — to be able to
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cap — a hat
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. can — a tin
  8. cap — a lid
  9. wound — an injury
  10. can — a tin
  11. cue — for pool
  12. present — there
  13. cue — a hint
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. present — the time now
  17. press — to push
  18. saw — the tool
  19. cue — a signal
  20. press — newspapers
  21. cap — of ice
  22. present — a gift
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. saw — the tool

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