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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: jam · mate · mark · rush · rest · content · fan · root

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. rush — hurry
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. rest — what's left
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. mark — a grade
  11. root — of a plant
  12. mate — to breed
  13. rest — a break
  14. root — of a word
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. mate — a partner
  17. rest — what's left
  18. content — happy
  19. content — the amount
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. mark — a trace
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. mate — a friend
  24. root — the cause

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