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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: fine · jam · rush · mug · file · roll · hide · game

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. rush — hurry
  4. fine — all right
  5. game — wild animals
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. game — a match
  11. roll — a list
  12. file — a line of people
  13. roll — a cake
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. mug — a face
  17. file — a tool
  18. mug — to rob
  19. file — a document
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. mug — a cup
  24. rush — a thrill

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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