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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: lean · hide · season · pop · chair · bowl · suit · jam

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. chair — a leader
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. pop — music
  10. lean — thin
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. suit — clothes
  16. season — of the year
  17. suit — in cards
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. suit — to fit
  21. season — in sport
  22. pop — to visit
  23. pop — soda
  24. lean — to bend

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