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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. press — newspapers
  3. bound — tied together
  4. face — part of the head
  5. press — to push
  6. face — to point toward
  7. spring — of water
  8. bound — obliged
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. content — the amount
  11. spring — the season
  12. spring — a coil
  13. object — a thing
  14. content — happy
  15. press — a publisher
  16. bound — certain
  17. face — to confront
  18. object — to protest

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