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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. press — to push
  3. content — happy
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. toast — bread
  6. bank — for money
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. date — the fruit
  10. chest — of your body
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. press — a publisher
  14. chest — of your body
  15. bank — for money
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. press — newspapers
  23. bank — of a river
  24. content — the amount

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