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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 116 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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. suit — in cards
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. press — a publisher
  5. mate — a friend
  6. rule — a law
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. stand — to bear
  9. press — to push
  10. rule — government
  11. content — the amount
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. mate — to breed
  17. mate — a partner
  18. suit — to fit
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. suit — clothes
  21. press — newspapers
  22. bear — the animal
  23. content — happy
  24. bear — the animal

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