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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: lean · can · content · vault · stick · dip · press · scale

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. vault — a safe
  3. press — newspapers
  4. lean — thin
  5. scale — size or range
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. press — to push
  8. can — to be able to
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. content — the amount
  12. dip — to sink
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. scale — in music
  17. content — happy
  18. lean — to bend
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. can — a tin
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. press — a publisher
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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