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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 120 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: cap · wake · lean · saw · content · pit · press · bear

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. press — newspapers
  3. saw — the tool
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. wake — a trail
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bear — the animal
  10. cap — a lid
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. bear — the animal
  13. content — happy
  14. content — the amount
  15. pit — in a race
  16. cap — a hat
  17. press — to push
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. cap — of ice
  20. pit — a hole
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. lean — to bend
  23. press — a publisher
  24. lean — to rest against

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