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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: lash · leaves · jam · cap · present · chest · hand · club

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. club — a group
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. chest — of your body
  5. chest — of your body
  6. cap — of ice
  7. cap — a hat
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. club — for dancing
  13. club — for golf
  14. hand — help
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. chest — a box
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. hand — in cards
  20. cap — a lid
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. present — a gift
  23. present — there
  24. present — the time now

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