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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: cold · jam · present · face · rush · mug · racket · march

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. cold — an illness
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. face — part of the head
  7. present — a gift
  8. face — to confront
  9. march — the month
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. mug — a face
  12. face — to point toward
  13. mug — a cup
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. cold — not warm
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. mug — to rob
  18. rush — hurry
  19. march — the month
  20. present — there
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. march — music

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