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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. season — of the year
  3. press — newspapers
  4. bound — certain
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. hand — help
  7. press — a publisher
  8. content — the amount
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. hand — in cards
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. content — happy
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. lean — to bend
  18. bound — tied together
  19. press — to push
  20. season — in sport
  21. bound — obliged
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. lean — thin

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