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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. press — a publisher
  3. hand — in cards
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. content — the amount
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. rest — what's left
  8. march — music
  9. hand — help
  10. rest — a break
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. net — after costs
  13. press — to push
  14. content — happy
  15. rest — what's left
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. march — the month
  18. march — the month
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. net — in sport
  21. press — newspapers
  22. net — for catching
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. safe — out of danger

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