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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: press · roll · scale · content · stand · dip · wound · saw

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wound — an injury
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. roll — a list
  7. scale — size or range
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. roll — a cake
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. scale — in music
  12. content — the amount
  13. press — newspapers
  14. dip — to sink
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. press — a publisher
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — the tool
  22. stand — to bear
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. content — happy

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