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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: press · wake · hide · ruler · pit · cap · tube · pass

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. tube — a container
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. wake — a trail
  6. cap — of ice
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. pit — in a race
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. cap — a lid
  13. pit — a hole
  14. press — a publisher
  15. pass — a permit
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. press — to push
  20. press — newspapers
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. tube — the underground
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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