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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: lean · jam · mine · field · object · arm · fan · season

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. object — an aim
  4. field — a subject
  5. season — of the year
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. lean — thin
  8. field — for sport
  9. season — in sport
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. object — to protest
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. object — a thing
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. lean — to bend
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. mine — for digging
  23. field — farmland
  24. jam — a tight spot

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