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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 · mate · roll · lean · kick · leaves · arm · chest

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. roll — a list
  3. chest — a box
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. kick — in football
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. chest — of your body
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. mate — a friend
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. lean — to bend
  13. roll — a cake
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. chest — of your body
  20. lean — thin
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. mate — a partner
  23. mate — to breed
  24. leaves — lets stay

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