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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: cold · press · track · saw · cap · stick · bound · bay

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. saw — the tool
  4. cap — a lid
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. cold — not warm
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. bound — obliged
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bound — tied together
  13. press — to push
  14. track — a song
  15. press — newspapers
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. bound — certain
  18. press — a publisher
  19. track — a path
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. cold — an illness
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. track — to keep track
  24. cap — a hat

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