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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. net — after costs
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. net — for catching
  5. press — newspapers
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. net — in sport
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. squash — the sport
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. press — to push
  14. bore — to drill
  15. press — a publisher
  16. squash — to crush
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. bore — to tire
  20. mate — a friend
  21. mate — to breed
  22. content — the amount
  23. content — happy
  24. mate — a partner

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