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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: chest · press · present · nail · leaves · content · temple · clip

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. press — newspapers
  3. clip — for paper
  4. present — there
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. present — the time now
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. chest — of your body
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. chest — a box
  15. content — happy
  16. content — the amount
  17. chest — of your body
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. present — a gift
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. clip — a video
  22. press — a publisher
  23. clip — to cut
  24. temple — a place of worship

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