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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: bay · roll · lean · trunk · bound · jam · deal · press

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. press — to push
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. deal — to handle
  13. bound — obliged
  14. roll — a list
  15. press — a publisher
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. press — newspapers
  19. bound — certain
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. roll — a cake
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. lean — to bend
  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