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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. content — the amount
  3. spell — letters
  4. press — newspapers
  5. fine — all right
  6. spring — of water
  7. press — to push
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. spring — a coil
  10. drill — the tool
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. content — happy
  13. drill — army training
  14. press — a publisher
  15. fine — high quality
  16. snap — to click
  17. spell — magic
  18. spring — the season
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. spell — a short time
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. snap — to speak sharply

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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