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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. fine — all right
  6. ground — crushed
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. fine — high quality
  9. press — newspapers
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. snap — to click
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. press — a publisher
  16. content — happy
  17. ground — the earth
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. content — the amount
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. press — to push
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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