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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: content · rule · mate · press · arm · bank

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. press — to push
  4. rule — a law
  5. press — newspapers
  6. bank — for money
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. press — a publisher
  9. content — happy
  10. content — the amount
  11. mate — a partner
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. mate — a friend
  14. rule — government
  15. bank — for money
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. bank — of a river
  18. content — videos and posts

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