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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: jam · ground · date · nail · wound · stick · bank · press

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. ground — a position
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. bank — for money
  7. press — a publisher
  8. ground — the earth
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. date — the fruit
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. wound — an injury
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. wound — an injury
  15. bank — for money
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. ground — crushed
  18. press — newspapers
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. press — to push
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. bank — of a river

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