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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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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: stand · content · rush · spring · wound · pit · press · cell

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. content — the amount
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wound — an injury
  5. press — a publisher
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. spring — a coil
  9. spring — of water
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. cell — a phone
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. press — to push
  18. pit — in a race
  19. press — newspapers
  20. content — happy
  21. rush — hurry
  22. cell — in biology
  23. stand — to bear
  24. pit — a hole

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