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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: bowl · row · jam · spring · press · rash · band · wake

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. press — to push
  3. press — newspapers
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. band — a music group
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. spring — a coil
  9. band — a ring
  10. rash — hasty
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. press — a publisher
  13. rash — a series
  14. spring — the season
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. wake — a trail
  18. row — a line
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. row — to paddle
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. spring — of water
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. row — a quarrel

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