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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: jam · rush · press · roll · present · rest · clip · charge

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. roll — a list
  3. roll — a cake
  4. clip — to cut
  5. press — to push
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. charge — electricity
  8. charge — a price
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. rest — a break
  11. rest — what's left
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. press — a publisher
  14. present — the time now
  15. clip — a video
  16. present — a gift
  17. press — newspapers
  18. rush — hurry
  19. charge — in control
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. clip — for paper
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. present — there
  24. rest — what's left

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