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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: ruler · press · bore · jam · branch · chip · cabinet · last

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. last — to go on
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. last — finally
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. press — to push
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bore — to drill
  12. branch — a division
  13. press — newspapers
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. chip — to eat
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. press — a publisher
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. chip — for betting
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. ruler — for measuring

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