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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: cap · drill · jam · staff · rush · row · hand · rash

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. cap — of ice
  3. hand — in cards
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. row — a line
  6. rush — hurry
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. staff — employees
  10. cap — a lid
  11. rash — hasty
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. drill — army training
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. hand — help
  17. row — to paddle
  18. cap — a hat
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. staff — a stick
  21. staff — employees
  22. drill — a practice
  23. rash — a series
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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