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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: saw · net · rush · hide · band · jam · roll · snap

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. band — a ring
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. roll — a list
  8. net — in sport
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. snap — to click
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. saw — the tool
  13. band — a music group
  14. net — for catching
  15. roll — a cake
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. saw — the tool
  23. net — after costs
  24. rush — 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