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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
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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: fan · mate · leaves · coach · jam · wound · present · mark

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. mark — a trace
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wound — an injury
  7. mate — a friend
  8. mark — a grade
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. mate — a partner
  14. present — the time now
  15. mate — to breed
  16. present — there
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. present — a gift
  24. jam — a tight spot

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