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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 · rash · shower · firm · wake · staff · foot · nail

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. wake — a trail
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. foot — a measure
  7. firm — decided
  8. staff — a stick
  9. firm — a company
  10. firm — steady
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. staff — employees
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. shower — rain
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. rash — a series
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. staff — employees
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. shower — to wash
  23. rash — hasty
  24. nail — on a finger

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