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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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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: rock · lie · hand · cap · press · pit · wound · content

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. content — the amount
  4. press — to push
  5. hand — in cards
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. rock — a stone
  9. hand — help
  10. cap — of ice
  11. cap — a lid
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. pit — a hole
  17. rock — music
  18. wound — an injury
  19. press — a publisher
  20. press — newspapers
  21. lie — to recline
  22. content — happy
  23. wound — an injury
  24. cap — a hat

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