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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 partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. content — the amount
  3. bear — the animal
  4. date — the fruit
  5. press — a publisher
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. present — the time now
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. present — a gift
  11. content — happy
  12. press — to push
  13. face — to confront
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. toast — bread
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. face — to point toward
  18. press — newspapers
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bulb — for light
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. bulb — for light
  24. face — part of the head

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