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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: coach · rush · clip · bank · temple · rest · jam · squash

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. rush — hurry
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. rest — a break
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. clip — for paper
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — what's left
  12. squash — to crush
  13. clip — a video
  14. squash — the sport
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. clip — to cut
  17. bank — for money
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bank — of a river
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. bank — for money
  24. temple — a place of worship

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