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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. cap — of ice
  3. lie — to recline
  4. press — to push
  5. press — newspapers
  6. press — a publisher
  7. rash — hasty
  8. content — the amount
  9. clip — a video
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. fine — high quality
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. cap — a lid
  16. content — happy
  17. fine — all right
  18. cap — a hat
  19. clip — for paper
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. clip — to cut
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. rash — on the skin

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