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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: content · pit · racket · temple · tube · lean · fine · press

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. press — to push
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. content — happy
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. pit — in a race
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. press — a publisher
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. press — newspapers
  13. pit — a hole
  14. fine — high quality
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. fine — all right
  19. content — the amount
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. tube — the underground
  22. lean — thin
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. lean — to bend

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