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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.

Make a worksheet

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: wake · wind · content · bass · object · bowl · cabinet · press

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. press — newspapers
  3. wind — moving air
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. bass — low music
  6. content — happy
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. content — the amount
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. press — a publisher
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. wake — a trail
  18. object — a thing
  19. press — to push
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. object — to protest
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. bass — the fish

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