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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 wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. press — newspapers
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. content — happy
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. board — a committee
  11. lie — to recline
  12. cap — a hat
  13. foot — a measure
  14. cap — of ice
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. pass — a permit
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. content — the amount
  20. press — to push
  21. cap — a lid
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. press — a publisher
  24. board — to get on

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