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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: jam · firm · squash · mug · fan · patient · leaves · rash

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. squash — to crush
  4. rash — a series
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. mug — to rob
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. rash — hasty
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. firm — a company
  12. squash — the sport
  13. firm — decided
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. mug — a cup
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. firm — steady

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