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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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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 · trunk · present · squash · bound · fork · rush · rule

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. bound — obliged
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. rule — government
  6. bound — tied together
  7. rule — a law
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. present — there
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. present — the time now
  16. present — a gift
  17. squash — the sport
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. rush — hurry
  20. fork — in a road
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. bound — certain
  24. rule — to rule out

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