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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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 · wind · plane · leaves · mine · squash · cap · scale

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. cap — of ice
  3. cap — a hat
  4. mine — for digging
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. scale — in music
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. scale — size or range
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. wind — moving air
  17. plane — a tool
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. wind — moving air
  20. cap — a lid
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. squash — to crush
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. squash — the sport

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