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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: rush · jam · cue · cell · coach · temple · cold · snap

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. cue — a hint
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. rush — hurry
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. cold — not warm
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. snap — to click
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. cue — for pool
  14. cue — a signal
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. cell — in biology
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. cell — a phone
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. cold — an illness

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