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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: mug · season · press · cap · saw · kick · suit · wind

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. press — to push
  3. kick — in football
  4. mug — to rob
  5. season — of the year
  6. cap — of ice
  7. cap — a lid
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. saw — the tool
  11. mug — a cup
  12. press — newspapers
  13. cap — a hat
  14. wind — moving air
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. saw — the tool
  18. mug — a face
  19. suit — clothes
  20. suit — to fit
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. season — in sport
  23. suit — in cards
  24. press — a publisher

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