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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: drill · current · content · spring · press · bay · cap · leaves

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  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. spring — of water
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. cap — of ice
  4. current — happening now
  5. drill — the tool
  6. cap — a hat
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. press — a publisher
  9. drill — army training
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. content — the amount
  12. press — newspapers
  13. drill — a practice
  14. spring — a coil
  15. press — to push
  16. current — of water
  17. spring — the season
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. cap — a lid
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. current — electric
  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