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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 120 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 function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. lie — to recline
  3. ground — crushed
  4. track — a song
  5. content — the amount
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. ground — a position
  9. rock — a stone
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. track — to keep track
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. squash — to crush
  14. press — to push
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. ground — the earth
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. content — happy
  20. press — a publisher
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. track — a path
  23. rock — music
  24. squash — the sport

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