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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: temple · rash · pop · kid · bound · rush · cap · jam

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. cap — a hat
  3. bound — tied together
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. rush — hurry
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. pop — soda
  10. cap — of ice
  11. cap — a lid
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. kid — child
  14. pop — music
  15. pop — to visit
  16. rash — hasty
  17. bound — obliged
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. kid — to tease
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. rash — a series
  23. bound — certain
  24. jam — a tight spot

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