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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. file — a line of people
  5. file — a tool
  6. press — to push
  7. content — happy
  8. press — newspapers
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. snap — to click
  14. content — the amount
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. press — a publisher
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. pass — a permit
  20. foot — a measure
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. file — a document
  23. wake — a trail
  24. jam — in traffic

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