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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. press — a publisher
  3. face — part of the head
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. content — the amount
  6. object — a thing
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. face — to point toward
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. object — to protest
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. face — to confront
  15. content — happy
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. bank — for money
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. press — newspapers
  21. object — an aim
  22. bank — for money
  23. toast — bread
  24. bank — of a river

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