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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. rule — a law
  3. content — happy
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. dip — to sink
  7. can — a tin
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. fall — the season
  11. content — the amount
  12. file — a document
  13. file — a line of people
  14. press — a publisher
  15. press — newspapers
  16. file — a tool
  17. toast — bread
  18. can — to be able to
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. fall — to drop
  21. press — to push
  22. can — a tin
  23. fall — to drop
  24. rule — government

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