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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: mine · press · jam · last · tube · rush · bound · plane

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. last — finally
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. bound — obliged
  7. tube — a container
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. last — to go on
  10. last — final
  11. mine — for digging
  12. rush — hurry
  13. press — a publisher
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. bound — certain
  17. plane — a tool
  18. press — to push
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. bound — tied together
  21. tube — the underground
  22. press — newspapers
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. plane — an aircraft

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