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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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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: rash · jam · wake · tear · firm · coach · content · roll

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. rash — a series
  4. rash — hasty
  5. firm — decided
  6. firm — a company
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. wake — a trail
  11. tear — to rip
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. tear — from crying
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. tear — from crying
  17. content — happy
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. roll — a cake
  21. firm — steady
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. content — the amount
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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