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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. stem — to come from
  3. press — to push
  4. rest — a break
  5. press — a publisher
  6. content — happy
  7. rest — what's left
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. charge — electricity
  11. press — newspapers
  12. stand — to bear
  13. charge — in control
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. charge — a price
  16. game — wild animals
  17. kick — in football
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. game — a match
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. rest — what's left
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. content — the amount

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