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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: jam · firm · trunk · press · ruler · kid

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. press — a publisher
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. kid — to tease
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. firm — a company
  9. press — to push
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. firm — steady
  12. firm — decided
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. press — newspapers
  15. kid — child
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. trunk — of a car

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