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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: season · hand · leaves · chip · jam · sharp · patient · fan

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. chip — to eat
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. hand — help
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. season — in sport
  10. season — of the year
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. sharp — clever
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. hand — in cards
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. chip — for betting
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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