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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. mug — to rob
  3. deal — to handle
  4. prune — to trim
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. shower — to wash
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. mug — a face
  13. shower — rain
  14. press — newspapers
  15. content — the amount
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. prune — to trim
  19. content — happy
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — to recline
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. mug — a cup
  24. press — a publisher

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