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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: rush · cold · mouse · drill · roll · temple · wind · jam

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. rush — hurry
  4. wind — moving air
  5. drill — the tool
  6. drill — army training
  7. drill — a practice
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. wind — moving air
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. cold — not warm
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. roll — a cake
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. cold — an illness
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. roll — a list
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. temple — a place of worship

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