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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: press · cap · bay · fan · snap · scale · craft · kid

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. scale — in music
  3. kid — to tease
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. snap — to click
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. scale — size or range
  8. press — newspapers
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. craft — a skill
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. craft — boats
  15. press — a publisher
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. cap — a lid
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. cap — a hat
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. kid — child
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. press — to push

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