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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. band — a music group
  4. saw — the tool
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. content — happy
  7. press — newspapers
  8. pound — a weight
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. saw — the tool
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. spell — letters
  14. content — the amount
  15. spell — a short time
  16. snap — to click
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. press — to push
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. press — a publisher
  24. band — a ring

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