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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: leaves · arm · squash · fan · rock · hand · jam · season

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. rock — music
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. hand — in cards
  5. rock — a stone
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. season — of the year
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. squash — to crush
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. season — in sport
  19. squash — the sport
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. hand — help
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. season — to add flavour

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