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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
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: fan · rock · jam · chest · foot · toast · pass · spring

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. chest — a box
  3. foot — a measure
  4. rock — music
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. toast — bread
  8. pass — a permit
  9. chest — of your body
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. rock — a stone
  12. spring — the season
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. chest — of your body
  19. spring — of water
  20. spring — a coil
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. foot — the bottom

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