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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
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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: stick · bound · cue · lean · chair · squash · bore · jam

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. squash — to crush
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. bore — to drill
  6. bound — obliged
  7. squash — the sport
  8. bore — to tire
  9. bound — certain
  10. lean — to bend
  11. chair — a leader
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. lean — thin
  15. cue — a hint
  16. bound — tied together
  17. cue — a signal
  18. cue — for pool
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. chair — a professorship

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