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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. press — newspapers
  5. present — there
  6. wake — a trail
  7. press — to push
  8. press — a publisher
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. present — the time now
  13. drill — army training
  14. cue — a signal
  15. drill — a practice
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. chair — a leader
  20. cue — for pool
  21. drill — the tool
  22. present — a gift
  23. content — the amount
  24. cue — a hint

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