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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
468
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: press · chest · object · foot · charge · content · craft · bark

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. object — to protest
  3. craft — a skill
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. object — a thing
  7. chest — a box
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. press — to push
  10. bark — to shout
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. foot — a measure
  13. press — newspapers
  14. content — happy
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. charge — electricity
  17. charge — a price
  18. craft — boats
  19. press — a publisher
  20. charge — in control
  21. chest — of your body
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. content — the amount
  24. chest — of your body

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