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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 · ground · lean · date · plane · pop · arm · stand

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. pop — music
  4. pop — soda
  5. lean — thin
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. ground — a position
  10. ground — crushed
  11. stand — to bear
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. pop — to visit
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. date — the fruit
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. plane — a tool
  23. lean — to bend
  24. ground — the earth

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