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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 · race · season · cap · charge · ruler · stick

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. cap — a lid
  3. charge — electricity
  4. race — the arms race
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. season — of the year
  10. cap — of ice
  11. charge — a price
  12. race — humankind
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. press — to push
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. race — a contest
  20. season — in sport
  21. charge — in control
  22. press — newspapers
  23. press — a publisher
  24. temple — a place of worship

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