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

Word bank: jam · snap · arm · rush · stick · rock · cell · coach

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. rush — hurry
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. rock — a stone
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. cell — in biology
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. snap — to click
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. cell — a phone

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