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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.

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: jam · season · arm · ground · rest · staff · track · fall

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. ground — a position
  3. staff — employees
  4. rest — what's left
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. fall — to drop
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. season — of the year
  10. rest — what's left
  11. fall — the season
  12. track — a path
  13. ground — the earth
  14. ground — crushed
  15. fall — to drop
  16. rest — a break
  17. staff — a stick
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. track — to keep track
  20. track — a song
  21. staff — employees
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. season — in sport

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