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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: spell · pass · press · stick · fan · cap · field · trunk

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. cap — of ice
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. field — farmland
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. press — to push
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. cap — a hat
  14. spell — letters
  15. press — a publisher
  16. pass — a permit
  17. field — for sport
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. spell — magic
  20. field — a subject
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. cap — a lid
  24. press — newspapers

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