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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
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: ruler · press · coach · wake · jam · bore · cold · current

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. press — to push
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. cold — not warm
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. wake — a trail
  10. bore — to drill
  11. current — happening now
  12. current — electric
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. cold — an illness
  16. press — a publisher
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. press — newspapers
  19. bore — to tire
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. current — of water
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. jam — a tight spot

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