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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.

Make a worksheet

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: hide · squash · leaves · land · press · toast · roll · content

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. land — a country
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. roll — a cake
  9. squash — to crush
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. content — happy
  12. toast — bread
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. press — a publisher
  15. roll — a list
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. land — ground
  18. squash — the sport
  19. press — newspapers
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. press — to push
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. land — to come down

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