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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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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: dip · tear · content · nail · fork · press

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. content — happy
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. content — the amount
  9. tear — from crying
  10. fork — in a road
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. press — newspapers
  13. press — to push
  14. tear — from crying
  15. press — a publisher
  16. tear — to rip
  17. dip — to sink
  18. dip — to dunk

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