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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: cell · jam · wind · board · dip · stick · season · rush

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. dip — to sink
  3. season — of the year
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. rush — hurry
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. cell — a phone
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. wind — moving air
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. board — a committee
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. cell — in biology
  22. wind — moving air
  23. season — in sport
  24. board — to get on

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