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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: cue · row · nail · jam · rush · lean · pit · mine

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. lean — thin
  3. cue — a hint
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. row — a line
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. pit — a hole
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. row — to paddle
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. lean — to bend
  17. cue — for pool
  18. rush — hurry
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. cue — a signal
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. pit — in a race
  23. mine — for digging
  24. rush — to hurry

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