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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: pop · rule · spell · straw · press · rock · cap · jam

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. cap — of ice
  3. pop — music
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. spell — letters
  8. rock — music
  9. rule — government
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. cap — a lid
  13. press — a publisher
  14. spell — magic
  15. pop — to visit
  16. rule — a law
  17. cap — a hat
  18. press — to push
  19. pop — soda
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. press — newspapers
  22. rock — a stone
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. straw — a straw man

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