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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. content — the amount
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. press — to push
  9. wind — moving air
  10. press — a publisher
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. rule — government
  16. pound — a weight
  17. content — happy
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. rule — a law
  21. wind — moving air
  22. press — newspapers
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. toast — bread

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