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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 function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. fall — to drop
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. press — a publisher
  5. rush — hurry
  6. fall — the season
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. content — the amount
  12. wake — a trail
  13. saw — the tool
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. lie — to recline
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. content — happy
  18. fall — to drop
  19. saw — the tool
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. press — to push
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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