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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. hand — help
  5. club — a group
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. mug — to rob
  9. club — for golf
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. content — happy
  12. dip — to sink
  13. mug — a face
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. wound — an injury
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. mug — a cup
  18. press — a publisher
  19. wound — an injury
  20. hand — in cards
  21. press — newspapers
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. content — the amount
  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