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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 120 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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. scale — size or range
  4. content — the amount
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. pass — a permit
  7. mate — a partner
  8. press — newspapers
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. press — to push
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. mate — to breed
  15. mate — a friend
  16. press — a publisher
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. content — happy
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. scale — in music
  24. scale — for weighing

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