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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. cell — a phone
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. content — the amount
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. ball — a great time
  8. spring — a coil
  9. press — newspapers
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. ball — a dance
  14. spring — the season
  15. press — to push
  16. last — final
  17. pass — a permit
  18. last — to go on
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. spring — of water
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. content — happy
  23. cell — in biology
  24. last — finally

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