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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
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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: sharp · rash · kid · bank · race · cap · jam · rush

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. cap — a hat
  3. kid — child
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. bank — for money
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. race — a contest
  12. sharp — clever
  13. cap — of ice
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. rush — hurry
  16. bank — of a river
  17. cap — a lid
  18. rash — a series
  19. race — the arms race
  20. rash — hasty
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. race — humankind
  23. kid — to tease
  24. bank — for money

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