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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 116 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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. bound — obliged
  3. season — of the year
  4. press — newspapers
  5. tube — the underground
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. content — happy
  9. press — to push
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. content — the amount
  13. bound — tied together
  14. season — in sport
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. bat — the animal
  18. bear — the animal
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. press — a publisher
  22. bound — certain
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. bear — the animal

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