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

Word bank: temple · press · snap · cap · bay · trunk · cabinet · fine

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. fine — all right
  3. cap — a lid
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. press — newspapers
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. cap — of ice
  12. fine — high quality
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. press — a publisher
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. press — to push
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. snap — to click

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