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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: bowl · hand · jam · rush · suit · bank · wind · foot

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. suit — to fit
  4. suit — in cards
  5. hand — in cards
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. bank — for money
  12. rush — hurry
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. bank — of a river
  18. bank — for money
  19. wind — moving air
  20. foot — a measure
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. suit — clothes
  23. hand — help
  24. jam — in traffic

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