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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. bound — tied together
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. bound — certain
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. pit — in a race
  8. press — to push
  9. content — the amount
  10. press — newspapers
  11. rush — hurry
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. bound — obliged
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. press — a publisher
  24. pit — a hole

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