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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. rash — a series
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. suit — clothes
  7. track — a song
  8. land — to come down
  9. land — ground
  10. suit — to fit
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. track — to keep track
  14. land — a country
  15. suit — in cards
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. rash — hasty
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. dip — to sink
  21. track — a path
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. kick — in football

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