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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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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 · sharp · safe · board · rush · drill · rash · cap

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. board — a committee
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. cap — a hat
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. drill — the tool
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. drill — a practice
  10. rash — a series
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. drill — army training
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. rush — hurry
  16. cap — of ice
  17. rash — hasty
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. board — to get on
  20. cap — a lid
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. sharp — clever

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