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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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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: press · face · content · rest · cabinet · ruler

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  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. content — the amount
  2. face — to point toward
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. press — to push
  5. face — to confront
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. press — a publisher
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. rest — a break
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. face — part of the head
  14. rest — what's left
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. rest — what's left
  17. content — happy
  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