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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. face — part of the head
  6. face — to point toward
  7. snap — to click
  8. ground — crushed
  9. press — a publisher
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. content — happy
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. press — newspapers
  16. face — to confront
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. content — the amount
  19. pass — a permit
  20. press — to push
  21. ground — the earth
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. ground — a position
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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