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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. content — the amount
  3. file — a tool
  4. content — happy
  5. wake — a trail
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. cue — a hint
  8. lie — to recline
  9. cue — for pool
  10. race — the arms race
  11. file — a line of people
  12. press — newspapers
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. press — a publisher
  15. root — of a word
  16. press — to push
  17. root — the cause
  18. file — a document
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. root — of a plant
  21. cue — a signal
  22. race — a contest
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. race — humankind

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