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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. content — happy
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. mate — a partner
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. sharp — clever
  12. row — a line
  13. content — the amount
  14. row — to paddle
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. mate — to breed
  18. press — to push
  19. press — a publisher
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. pass — a permit
  23. mate — a friend
  24. press — newspapers

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