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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. rush — hurry
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. bass — the fish
  7. press — a publisher
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bass — low music
  10. press — to push
  11. fork — in a road
  12. tube — a container
  13. content — the amount
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. content — happy
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. tube — the underground
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. press — newspapers
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. hide — animal skin

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