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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. fall — the season
  3. press — a publisher
  4. content — the amount
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. press — newspapers
  7. lean — thin
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. fall — to drop
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. lean — to bend
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. fall — to drop
  19. hand — in cards
  20. press — to push
  21. wake — a trail
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. content — happy

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