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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: leaves · fan · wake · lean · last · jam · season · mate

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. lean — to bend
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. mate — a friend
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. lean — thin
  12. mate — to breed
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. wake — a trail
  16. season — in sport
  17. last — finally
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. mate — a partner
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. last — final
  24. season — of the year

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