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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 116 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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  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. content — happy
  2. rule — government
  3. dip — to sink
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. content — the amount
  7. squash — the sport
  8. press — a publisher
  9. squash — to crush
  10. rule — a law
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. season — of the year
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. sharp — clever
  15. press — newspapers
  16. mug — to rob
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. season — in sport
  19. mug — a face
  20. mug — a cup
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. press — to push
  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