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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
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: spring · content · press · fall · rule · board · wax · jam

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. fall — to drop
  3. spring — a coil
  4. spring — the season
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. board — to get on
  9. content — the amount
  10. press — newspapers
  11. press — a publisher
  12. board — a committee
  13. fall — to drop
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. spring — of water
  16. press — to push
  17. wax — to grow
  18. content — happy
  19. rule — a law
  20. rule — government
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. wax — in the ear

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