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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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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: toast · content · foot · rule · bear · safe · present · press

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. foot — a measure
  3. press — a publisher
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. press — to push
  8. present — there
  9. content — happy
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. rule — a law
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. content — the amount
  15. present — the time now
  16. bear — the animal
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. present — a gift
  20. bear — the animal
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. rule — government
  24. press — newspapers

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