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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pitcher · chest · press · row · temple · rule · bark · jam

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  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. bark — to shout
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. chest — a box
  5. row — to paddle
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. row — a line
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. rule — government
  11. chest — of your body
  12. press — newspapers
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. chest — of your body
  16. press — to push
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. rule — a law
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. press — a publisher
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  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