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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: press · spell · hand · content · foot · straw · pound · jam

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. hand — in cards
  3. hand — help
  4. spell — magic
  5. content — happy
  6. pound — a weight
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. press — a publisher
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. spell — letters
  11. spell — a short time
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. content — the amount
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. foot — a measure
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. press — newspapers
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. press — to push

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