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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: toast · bear · content · firm · press · lash · lie · file

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. toast — bread
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. content — happy
  6. press — a publisher
  7. press — newspapers
  8. firm — a company
  9. firm — decided
  10. file — a document
  11. firm — steady
  12. press — to push
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. lie — to recline
  15. content — the amount
  16. file — a line of people
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. bear — the animal
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. file — a tool

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