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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. face — part of the head
  3. prune — to trim
  4. can — a tin
  5. degree — from a university
  6. can — a tin
  7. swing — in golf
  8. content — the amount
  9. saw — the tool
  10. face — to confront
  11. prune — to trim
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. press — to push
  14. content — happy
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. saw — the tool
  17. degree — an amount
  18. face — to point toward
  19. swing — to play on
  20. can — to be able to
  21. press — a publisher
  22. degree — temperature
  23. swing — music
  24. content — videos and posts

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