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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. pop — soda
  4. band — a music group
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. content — the amount
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. rush — hurry
  9. bear — the animal
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. plane — a tool
  12. chip — for betting
  13. pop — to visit
  14. bear — the animal
  15. press — a publisher
  16. chip — to eat
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. content — happy
  21. press — newspapers
  22. pop — music
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. band — a ring

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