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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. press — to push
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. wound — an injury
  9. content — happy
  10. press — a publisher
  11. lie — to recline
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. key — for a lock
  15. key — in music
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. press — newspapers
  19. key — the most important part
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. stand — to bear
  22. fork — in a road
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. content — the amount

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