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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 · straw · bear · stand · rush · content · rest · season

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. rest — a break
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. rest — what's left
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. rest — what's left
  8. content — happy
  9. bear — the animal
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. content — the amount
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. season — in sport
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. stand — to bear
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. bear — the animal
  23. season — of the year
  24. rush — to 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