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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. bulb — for light
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. file — a tool
  6. bulb — for light
  7. content — happy
  8. press — a publisher
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. drill — army training
  11. file — a line of people
  12. content — the amount
  13. file — a document
  14. mug — a cup
  15. mug — to rob
  16. drill — the tool
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. press — to push
  21. drill — a practice
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. press — newspapers

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