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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: stick · hide · saw · cold · rush · foot · deal · jam

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. deal — to handle
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. cold — not warm
  13. rush — hurry
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. saw — the tool
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. cold — an illness
  21. foot — a measure
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. saw — the tool

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