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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: stand · rush · stick · foot · file · wake · jam · can

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. wake — a trail
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. file — a tool
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. rush — hurry
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. can — to be able to
  14. can — a tin
  15. stand — to bear
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. foot — a measure
  19. file — a document
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. can — a tin
  22. file — a line of people
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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