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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 120 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 · hand · deal · fine · staff · spring · wave · press

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. staff — a stick
  3. content — happy
  4. spring — of water
  5. content — the amount
  6. staff — employees
  7. hand — help
  8. press — to push
  9. press — newspapers
  10. staff — employees
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. fine — high quality
  14. deal — to handle
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. hand — in cards
  17. press — a publisher
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. fine — all right
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. spring — the season
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. wave — of the sea

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