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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 120 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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. sharp — clever
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. court — of law
  7. bank — for money
  8. court — of a king
  9. bank — of a river
  10. court — for sport
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. press — newspapers
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. press — to push
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. content — the amount
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. lie — to recline
  19. wake — a trail
  20. bank — for money
  21. snap — to click
  22. press — a publisher
  23. content — happy
  24. wake — before a funeral

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