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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: dip · cold · press · craft · firm · row · rash · cap

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. press — newspapers
  3. firm — decided
  4. press — to push
  5. cold — an illness
  6. row — to paddle
  7. cap — of ice
  8. firm — a company
  9. row — a line
  10. press — a publisher
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. rash — a series
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. cold — not warm
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. cap — a lid
  18. craft — boats
  19. firm — steady
  20. craft — a skill
  21. dip — to sink
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. rash — hasty
  24. cold — the Cold War

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