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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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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: ruler · fall · pit · press · wave · content · band · stem

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. pit — a hole
  3. content — the amount
  4. fall — to drop
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. press — newspapers
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. press — a publisher
  10. stem — to come from
  11. press — to push
  12. content — happy
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. fall — the season
  15. band — a music group
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. pit — in a race
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. band — a ring
  20. fall — to drop
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. band — a rubber band

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