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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: wound · ruler · kick · chip · wind · press · chair · jam

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. wind — moving air
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. press — a publisher
  8. wound — an injury
  9. chip — to eat
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. press — to push
  13. kick — in football
  14. chip — for betting
  15. press — newspapers
  16. chair — a leader
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. wound — an injury
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. wind — moving air
  24. jam — in traffic

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