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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. season — in sport
  3. content — the amount
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. ball — a dance
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. season — of the year
  9. press — newspapers
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. press — to push
  14. ball — a great time
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. content — happy
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. bore — to drill
  21. wake — a trail
  22. bore — to tire
  23. press — a publisher
  24. season — to add flavour

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