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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: wound · mug · jam · root · row · rush · kid · temple

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. root — the cause
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. kid — child
  6. mug — a cup
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. row — a line
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. root — of a plant
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. mug — a face
  14. wound — an injury
  15. row — to paddle
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. wound — an injury
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. root — of a word
  22. mug — to rob
  23. kid — to tease
  24. jam — a tight spot

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