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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: content · fall · press · clip · roll · ball · rash · mouse

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. content — happy
  4. content — the amount
  5. clip — a video
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. press — newspapers
  9. clip — to cut
  10. ball — a dance
  11. rash — a series
  12. rash — hasty
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fall — the season
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. clip — for paper
  17. ball — a great time
  18. press — to push
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. roll — a cake
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. fall — to drop
  23. roll — a list
  24. press — a publisher

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