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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: bound · rock · lean · content · season · mug · swing · press

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. swing — music
  3. content — happy
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. mug — to rob
  6. rock — a stone
  7. rock — music
  8. mug — a face
  9. lean — thin
  10. swing — in golf
  11. bound — obliged
  12. season — in sport
  13. press — a publisher
  14. mug — a cup
  15. content — the amount
  16. lean — to bend
  17. press — newspapers
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. press — to push
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. swing — to play on
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. season — of the year
  24. bound — tied together

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