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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: leaves · fan · jam · spring · season · plane · row · dip

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. spring — the season
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. spring — a coil
  8. plane — a tool
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. row — to paddle
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. season — in sport
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. row — a line
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. dip — to sink
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. season — of the year
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. spring — of water
  24. season — to add flavour

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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