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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. court — for sport
  3. press — a publisher
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. track — to keep track
  6. dip — to sink
  7. content — the amount
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. track — a path
  12. content — happy
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. press — newspapers
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. track — a song
  17. wake — a trail
  18. lie — to recline
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. court — of law
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. court — of a king

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