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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. content — the amount
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. season — in sport
  7. content — happy
  8. fall — the season
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. file — a tool
  12. file — a line of people
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. season — of the year
  15. vault — a safe
  16. press — a publisher
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. press — newspapers
  20. fall — to drop
  21. file — a document
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. press — to push

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