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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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: bass · content · rash · straw · firm · press · leaves · perch

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. content — the amount
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. press — to push
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. firm — steady
  9. firm — decided
  10. press — newspapers
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. bass — low music
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. perch — the fish
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. rash — hasty
  19. rash — a series
  20. bass — the fish
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. press — a publisher
  23. firm — a company
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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