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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. press — a publisher
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. mug — a cup
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. press — newspapers
  8. land — ground
  9. land — to come down
  10. mug — a face
  11. land — a country
  12. bat — the animal
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. content — happy
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. content — the amount
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. mug — to rob
  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