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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. fork — in a road
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. swing — music
  5. content — the amount
  6. bear — the animal
  7. tear — to rip
  8. press — to push
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. swing — to play on
  13. press — newspapers
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. content — happy
  17. bear — the animal
  18. swing — in golf
  19. tear — from crying
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. dip — to sink
  22. tear — from crying
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. dip — to dunk

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