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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: wake · foot · coach · lean · can · squash · fan · jam

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. lean — thin
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. wake — a trail
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. can — to be able to
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. can — a tin
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. foot — a measure
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. can — a tin
  21. lean — to bend
  22. squash — to crush
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. squash — the 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