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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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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: rush · jam · press · hand · cap · tear · stock · ruler

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. tear — from crying
  3. tear — to rip
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. stock — goods
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. press — a publisher
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. cap — a lid
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. stock — shares
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. tear — from crying
  14. cap — a hat
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. cap — of ice
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. press — to push
  20. hand — in cards
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. rush — hurry
  23. press — newspapers
  24. hand — help

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