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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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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: hide · board · dip · ground · rash · can · stick · jam

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. ground — the earth
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. rash — hasty
  7. ground — crushed
  8. rash — a series
  9. ground — a position
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. can — a tin
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. dip — to sink
  16. board — to get on
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. can — to be able to
  19. can — a tin
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. board — a committee
  24. hide — animal skin

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