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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.

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: can · cap · press · wave · mate · face · spring · prune

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. cap — a hat
  4. can — a tin
  5. face — part of the head
  6. mate — a partner
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. spring — of water
  9. mate — a friend
  10. spring — the season
  11. mate — to breed
  12. press — newspapers
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. press — a publisher
  15. can — a tin
  16. cap — of ice
  17. face — to confront
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. can — to be able to
  20. prune — to trim
  21. face — to point toward
  22. cap — a lid
  23. prune — to trim
  24. spring — a coil

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