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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 120 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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  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. press — newspapers
  2. press — a publisher
  3. spell — magic
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. spell — letters
  6. prune — to trim
  7. dip — to sink
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. content — the amount
  12. press — to push
  13. pit — in a race
  14. spell — a short time
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. mine — for digging
  20. prune — to trim
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. pit — a hole
  23. mine — an explosive
  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