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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: wake · press · arm · jam · dip · cabinet · bat · ruler

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. press — to push
  3. press — a publisher
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. press — newspapers
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. bat — the animal
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. dip — to sink
  23. wake — a trail
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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