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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
468
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: rash · toast · cell · drill · track · jam · rush · hide

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. cell — a phone
  3. drill — the tool
  4. track — a song
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. rash — a series
  8. rash — hasty
  9. rush — hurry
  10. track — a path
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. track — to keep track
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. toast — bread
  17. cell — in biology
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. drill — a practice
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. drill — army training
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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