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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. ground — a position
  5. roll — a list
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. staff — a stick
  10. staff — employees
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. roll — a cake
  13. bulb — for light
  14. ground — the earth
  15. content — happy
  16. press — newspapers
  17. content — the amount
  18. ground — crushed
  19. staff — employees
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bulb — for light
  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