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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 124 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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. press — a publisher
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. press — to push
  6. press — newspapers
  7. staff — employees
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. clip — for paper
  10. staff — a stick
  11. clip — a video
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. clip — to cut
  14. staff — employees
  15. stem — to come from
  16. rash — hasty
  17. content — the amount
  18. rash — a series
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. rock — a stone
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. content — happy
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. rock — music

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