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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: wake · rest · jam · rash · can · hand · foot · last

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. foot — a measure
  3. can — to be able to
  4. rest — what's left
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. last — to go on
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. rash — a series
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. rash — hasty
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. wake — a trail
  13. can — a tin
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. rest — a break
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. last — finally
  19. rest — what's left
  20. can — a tin
  21. last — final
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. hand — help
  24. hand — in cards

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