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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: toast · file · fall · jam · present · wake · season · land

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. fall — to drop
  6. file — a document
  7. wake — a trail
  8. season — in sport
  9. toast — bread
  10. season — of the year
  11. file — a line of people
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. land — a country
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. present — a gift
  16. land — to come down
  17. file — a tool
  18. fall — to drop
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. land — ground
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. present — there
  23. present — the time now
  24. wake — before a funeral

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