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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. press — newspapers
  6. cold — an illness
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. content — happy
  10. lie — to recline
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. press — a publisher
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. cold — not warm
  21. press — to push
  22. content — the amount
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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