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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: fall · cold · firm · pound · jam · ruler · charge · press

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. cold — an illness
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. press — to push
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. pound — a weight
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. fall — to drop
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. press — a publisher
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. firm — decided
  14. cold — not warm
  15. press — newspapers
  16. fall — to drop
  17. firm — steady
  18. firm — a company
  19. charge — in control
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. charge — electricity
  22. charge — a price
  23. fall — the season
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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