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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: rest · jam · stem · bound · press · saw · cap · arm

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. bound — tied together
  3. press — a publisher
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. cap — a hat
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. bound — obliged
  8. stem — to come from
  9. rest — a break
  10. press — newspapers
  11. bound — certain
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — the tool
  14. press — to push
  15. cap — of ice
  16. rest — what's left
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. rest — what's left
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. cap — a lid
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. jam — a tight spot

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