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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. drill — a practice
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. content — happy
  6. spring — a coil
  7. deal — to handle
  8. press — newspapers
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. rest — what's left
  14. spring — of water
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. press — to push
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. rest — what's left
  19. drill — the tool
  20. pound — a weight
  21. drill — army training
  22. spring — the season
  23. rest — a break
  24. press — a publisher

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