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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: cell · press · bound · lash · jam · present · wave · pitcher

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. bound — tied together
  4. press — newspapers
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. present — a gift
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. cell — in biology
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. bound — obliged
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. press — to push
  16. present — the time now
  17. cell — a phone
  18. bound — certain
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. press — a publisher
  21. present — there
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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