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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: staff · rush · jam · hand · bowl · tear · pass · spell

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. hand — in cards
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. staff — employees
  8. spell — letters
  9. rush — hurry
  10. hand — help
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. tear — from crying
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. staff — employees
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. tear — to rip
  17. spell — magic
  18. pass — a permit
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. spell — a short time
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. staff — a stick

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