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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. snap — to click
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. press — a publisher
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. pass — a permit
  14. press — newspapers
  15. kick — in football
  16. content — the amount
  17. foot — a measure
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. content — happy

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