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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.

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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 · cell · ball · cold · cap · bore · cabinet · fine

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. bore — to drill
  4. cell — in biology
  5. cap — a hat
  6. ball — a great time
  7. cell — a phone
  8. cap — of ice
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. fine — all right
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. ball — a dance
  15. press — a publisher
  16. cold — not warm
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. bore — to tire
  19. cap — a lid
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. press — to push
  23. press — newspapers
  24. cold — an illness

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