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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: fan · season · jam · rest · lie · rush · game · mine

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. rest — what's left
  6. mine — for digging
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. rest — a break
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. season — in sport
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rush — hurry
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. game — a match
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. game — wild animals
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. season — of the year
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. lie — to recline
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. fan — to cool the air

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