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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: rush · current · land · mouse · bay · jam · fan · tear

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. current — happening now
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. rush — hurry
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. land — a country
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. tear — to rip
  15. current — electric
  16. tear — from crying
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. tear — from crying
  19. land — to come down
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. land — ground
  23. current — of water
  24. rush — a thrill

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