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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 · mug · temple · wound · rule · row · coach · rash

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. mug — to rob
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. mug — a cup
  7. rule — a law
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. rash — hasty
  10. row — a line
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. row — to paddle
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. wound — an injury
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. rash — a series
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. rule — government
  21. mug — a face
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. rule — to rule out

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