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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. press — a publisher
  4. firm — a company
  5. present — the time now
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. last — to go on
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. present — there
  10. content — happy
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. present — a gift
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. firm — decided
  17. wound — an injury
  18. firm — steady
  19. last — final
  20. wound — an injury
  21. press — to push
  22. content — the amount
  23. press — newspapers
  24. trunk — of a car

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