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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: dip · wave · content · march · press · ball · bound · nail

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  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. content — the amount
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. bound — tied together
  4. bound — obliged
  5. ball — a dance
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. dip — to sink
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. ball — a great time
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. press — a publisher
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. march — music
  15. content — happy
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. press — to push
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. press — newspapers
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. bound — certain
  22. march — the month
  23. march — the month
  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