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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: sharp · hide · rash · rock · land · jam · tube · stand

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. rock — music
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. land — ground
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. rash — hasty
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. sharp — clever
  13. rock — a stone
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. tube — the underground
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. land — a country
  20. land — to come down
  21. tube — a container
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. stand — to bear

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