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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
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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: hide · content · band · row · rush · press · rash · bulb

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. content — the amount
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. rash — hasty
  8. press — to push
  9. band — a ring
  10. bulb — for light
  11. band — a music group
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. row — to paddle
  14. bulb — for light
  15. row — a line
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. content — happy
  19. rush — hurry
  20. press — a publisher
  21. rash — a series
  22. press — newspapers
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. row — a quarrel

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