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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. press — to push
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. board — to get on
  5. can — a tin
  6. chest — of your body
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. chest — of your body
  11. content — happy
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. firm — decided
  16. press — newspapers
  17. can — a tin
  18. press — a publisher
  19. content — the amount
  20. firm — a company
  21. board — a committee
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. firm — steady
  24. chest — a box

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