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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 116 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: pound · content · calf · nail · press · mark · face · hand

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. face — to point toward
  8. face — part of the head
  9. press — newspapers
  10. mark — a trace
  11. hand — in cards
  12. mark — a grade
  13. press — a publisher
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. pound — a weight
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. hand — help
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. content — the amount
  21. press — to push
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. face — to confront

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