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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 ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. content — happy
  4. stem — to come from
  5. content — the amount
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. press — newspapers
  13. face — to point toward
  14. dip — to sink
  15. face — to confront
  16. deal — to handle
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. face — part of the head
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. press — a publisher
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. racket — for tennis
  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