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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: foot · object · straw · press · tube · squash · content · wound

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  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. straw — dry grass
  2. wound — an injury
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. press — a publisher
  6. object — an aim
  7. squash — to crush
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. tube — the underground
  13. object — to protest
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. foot — a measure
  17. object — a thing
  18. content — the amount
  19. press — to push
  20. tube — a container
  21. press — newspapers
  22. squash — the sport
  23. tube — in a tire
  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