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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rock · bore · dip · press · content · stand

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. press — a publisher
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. press — newspapers
  5. content — the amount
  6. rock — music
  7. stand — to bear
  8. bore — to tire
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. rock — a stone
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. dip — to sink
  16. bore — to drill
  17. press — to push
  18. stand — for spectators

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