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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. press — to push
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. content — the amount
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. degree — an amount
  9. key — for a lock
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. degree — from a university
  12. key — in music
  13. press — newspapers
  14. tube — the underground
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. content — happy
  17. tube — a container
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. key — the most important part
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. degree — temperature
  24. press — a publisher

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