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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 had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. cold — not warm
  3. content — happy
  4. press — newspapers
  5. craft — a skill
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. content — the amount
  9. squash — to crush
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. stem — to come from
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — the animal
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. press — a publisher
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. squash — the sport
  20. craft — boats
  21. press — to push
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. stem — of a plant

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