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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. press — a publisher
  4. content — happy
  5. mate — a partner
  6. mate — a friend
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. lean — thin
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. mate — to breed
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. fork — in a road
  15. lean — to bend
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. press — newspapers
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. content — the amount
  20. roll — a list
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. roll — a cake
  24. press — to push

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