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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 116 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: spring · press · spell · mouse · content · pass

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. spring — of water
  3. spell — a short time
  4. content — the amount
  5. press — a publisher
  6. pass — a permit
  7. spring — a coil
  8. spell — magic
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. spell — letters
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. content — happy
  15. spring — the season
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. press — newspapers

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