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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: fork · date · cap · cold · mug · press · wave · last

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. cold — an illness
  5. fork — in a road
  6. press — a publisher
  7. last — final
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. press — newspapers
  10. mug — to rob
  11. mug — a face
  12. date — the fruit
  13. cap — of ice
  14. mug — a cup
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. cap — a lid
  18. cap — a hat
  19. last — finally
  20. last — to go on
  21. press — to push
  22. cold — not warm
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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