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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. stand — to bear
  3. file — a line of people
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. file — a document
  6. press — newspapers
  7. content — the amount
  8. mine — for digging
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. press — a publisher
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. bore — to drill
  19. file — a tool
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. bore — to tire
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. press — to push

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