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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. drill — army training
  4. press — newspapers
  5. content — the amount
  6. lie — to recline
  7. degree — temperature
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. fine — high quality
  11. chair — a leader
  12. drill — a practice
  13. press — to push
  14. degree — an amount
  15. rush — hurry
  16. press — a publisher
  17. degree — from a university
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. content — happy
  22. fine — all right
  23. drill — the tool
  24. chair — a professorship

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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