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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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. content — the amount
  3. land — a country
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. wind — moving air
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. file — a document
  9. land — to come down
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. press — newspapers
  12. file — a line of people
  13. stem — to come from
  14. content — happy
  15. bear — the animal
  16. press — to push
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. tube — a container
  19. wind — moving air
  20. file — a tool
  21. press — a publisher
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. tube — the underground
  24. land — ground

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