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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  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. last — final
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. press — a publisher
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. last — to go on
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. last — finally
  15. dip — to sink
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. bore — to drill
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. content — the amount
  21. bore — to tire
  22. press — to push
  23. content — happy
  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