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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 · land · lash · vault · season · cue · can · fan

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. cue — a hint
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. cue — for pool
  5. can — a tin
  6. land — to come down
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. season — in sport
  10. season — of the year
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. land — ground
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. vault — a safe
  18. cue — a signal
  19. can — to be able to
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. can — a tin
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. land — a country
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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