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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
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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: rest · land · press · swing · drill · rock · content · bulb

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. 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. rock — to move gently
  2. bulb — for light
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. land — to come down
  6. press — a publisher
  7. rest — what's left
  8. swing — to play on
  9. land — a country
  10. land — ground
  11. rock — a stone
  12. rest — what's left
  13. content — happy
  14. drill — a practice
  15. swing — in golf
  16. drill — army training
  17. rest — a break
  18. press — to push
  19. rock — music
  20. bulb — for light
  21. swing — music
  22. drill — the tool
  23. content — the amount
  24. 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