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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. press — to push
  3. press — a publisher
  4. rest — what's left
  5. content — the amount
  6. stem — to come from
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. press — newspapers
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. rush — hurry
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. rest — a break
  17. pass — a permit
  18. rest — what's left
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. ball — a dance
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. ball — a great time
  24. content — happy

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