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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
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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: rest · fan · press · jam · lie · tube · chair · content

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. press — to push
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. press — a publisher
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. lie — to recline
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. chair — a leader
  10. press — newspapers
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. rest — what's left
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. rest — what's left
  15. content — the amount
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. content — happy
  20. rest — a break
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. tube — a container
  24. jam — in traffic

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