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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: bear · arm · suit · jam · leaves · staff · drill · rest

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. bear — the animal
  3. staff — a stick
  4. suit — to fit
  5. rest — what's left
  6. suit — clothes
  7. drill — a practice
  8. staff — employees
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. bear — the animal
  11. drill — army training
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. staff — employees
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. rest — a break
  17. drill — the tool
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. rest — what's left
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. suit — in cards
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. bear — to put up with

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