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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 · leaves · mouse · ball · bear · sharp · press

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. bear — the animal
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. press — a publisher
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. ball — a great time
  15. press — newspapers
  16. ball — a dance
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. bear — the animal
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. press — to push
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. sharp — clever

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