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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  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. cell — in a prison
  3. press — newspapers
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. present — the time now
  6. wake — a trail
  7. mark — a grade
  8. mark — a trace
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. cell — a phone
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. bear — the animal
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. bear — the animal
  19. press — a publisher
  20. present — there
  21. content — the amount
  22. cell — in biology
  23. present — a gift
  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