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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. press — to push
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. content — happy
  5. bass — the fish
  6. dip — to sink
  7. press — newspapers
  8. swing — in golf
  9. swing — music
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. suit — in cards
  12. suit — to fit
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. content — the amount
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. spring — of water
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. press — a publisher
  20. spring — a coil
  21. bass — low music
  22. spring — the season
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. suit — clothes

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