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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: foot · nail · branch · lash · game · content · press · mug

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. content — happy
  4. press — to push
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. mug — a face
  7. press — newspapers
  8. branch — a division
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. foot — a measure
  11. mug — a cup
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. content — the amount
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. game — wild animals
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. press — a publisher
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. mug — to rob
  24. nail — for a hammer

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