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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: ball · content · tear · stick · press · hand · mark · bound

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. bound — obliged
  3. mark — a trace
  4. mark — a grade
  5. ball — a great time
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. ball — a dance
  8. press — to push
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. bound — tied together
  13. press — a publisher
  14. tear — from crying
  15. content — the amount
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. bound — certain
  18. tear — to rip
  19. hand — help
  20. hand — in cards
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. press — newspapers
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. content — happy

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