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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. tear — from crying
  4. tube — a container
  5. can — a tin
  6. press — to push
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. can — a tin
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. tear — from crying
  11. swing — music
  12. tube — the underground
  13. tear — to rip
  14. can — to be able to
  15. bass — the fish
  16. content — the amount
  17. content — happy
  18. press — a publisher
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. press — newspapers
  21. swing — to play on
  22. bass — low music
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. swing — in golf

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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