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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · pass · lean · spring · ruler · press

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. press — newspapers
  3. spring — of water
  4. spring — a coil
  5. lean — to bend
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. press — to push
  11. press — a publisher
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. spring — the season
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. lean — thin
  16. pass — a permit
  17. content — the amount
  18. ruler — a monarch

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