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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: content · roll · bass · current · press · pound · wake · face

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. face — to point toward
  3. face — to confront
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. wake — a trail
  7. pound — a weight
  8. roll — a cake
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. current — of water
  11. press — a publisher
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. current — happening now
  15. press — newspapers
  16. content — happy
  17. bass — the fish
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. bass — low music
  20. face — part of the head
  21. content — the amount
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. roll — a list
  24. current — electric

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